Face Down
by SimplyDazzling
Summary: Bella has a dark past and present; Charlie's an alcoholic who absuses her daily. The Cullen's are new in town, and it turns out that Edward has a story too. They find themselves in each other, but will their dark pasts come back to haunt them? OOC, BxE
1. Untitled: Simple Plan

**This is my first fanfic ever, so I hope I did a good job, and that you guys will enjoy it!**

**It was inspired by the song **_**Face Down**_** by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.  
I'd also like to thank my amazing beta reader: 2carm2carm2!**

**All I ask is that you'd review and give me feedback like crazy! You don't know how much I'd appreciate it. Also, taking ideas for the story, so if you think you've got one, you know what to do.**

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**BPOV**

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the next blow to come. His breath smelt strongly of alcohol. More so than usual, so that was never a good sign. His sessions were usually more painful when he was drunk, so tonight was _not_ a good night.

Before I could recover from the blow to the stomach, there was another kick, and I felt my sudden intake of breath. The all to familiar feeling of pain swept across me, and I began to get dizzy. Charlie had to lay off soon, or I'd probably be knocked to a state of unconsciousness. The look in his eyes told me he realized this too. He brought his hand back, eyes burning with the fury I never really understood, and with that, I was knocked to the ground. The last thing I heard as I fell to the floor were Charlie's pleased snickers and his footsteps that indicated him heading back to his old recliner.

I fluttered my eyes open, and I sat up to stretch. They immediately filled with the tears I tried to fight back, while I cringed at the pain covering my body. I sat there, lying on the ground for a while, when I heard footsteps coming my way.

"Damn it, Bells!" Charlie screeched, standing over me. "Get that fat ass of yours off the ground and get ready for school!"

I waited, eyes on him, for him to strike. He must've felt pleased at what he did from last night to decide that no damage would be inflicted this morning.

I quick got it together and lifted myself off the floor. Once more, I cringed at the pain, and hurried to make my way up to the bathroom before Charlie thought second about his choice of leaving my unscathed.

As I made it to the bathroom, I shut and locked the door, and stood in front of the mirror to inspect myself. My eyes were puffy with the crying I must have been doing in my sleep. My face was red, and swollen- it was clear that there was a shape of a hand welded onto my face. Charlie would make sure I was to cover it up with an extra amount of make-up. The worst part was, the basketball-sized bruise in the middle of my stomach that made it difficult to breathe, and the cut about the length of a pencil on the side of my arm, from being thrown up against the cabinet.

School would be hell today. But, then again, when wasn't it?

I turned the water on high, until the room was hot and steamy. I stripped down out of the clothes from last night, and stepped into the shower. I gasped at the contact the water made with my skin, and instantly relaxed. Showers like these, after Charlie's "sessions", were pure heaven. They made all the pain go away, temporarily at least, and abled me to let go. To escape this world I had been living for all to long.

It hadn't always been like this. I had been apart of a wonderful, loving, happy family. Renee, Charlie, and I. My life was perfect, and I was the princess I always dreamed I would be. But one September evening, things went terribly, terribly wrong. There was an accident. An accident that involved a lot of alcohol, fighting, and a gun shot.

I was 9 years old. My father killed my mother.

He was drunk, and she made the mistake of confronting him about his drinking problems. He didn't like that very much, and I remember the exact argument as I was sitting, scared and alone, two floors up in my bedroom.

_"Bella is going to grow up in a toxic environment because of your habits," she yelled at him, disgusted. "Pull your ass together, and learn some self-dignity. You're not the man I knew 10 years ago."_

_My father's growl proved that he wasn't happy. He rarely got mad at my mother. They never fought. Renee must've found the stashed bottles under the sink. She'd never known how much he drank._

_"Damn it!" He screamed, "Damn you! You ain't gonna tell me what and what I'm not gonna do!"_

_I heard the old recliner creak, and sensed that he had stood up._

_Renee screamed and I heard her move away._

_"Don't touch me!" She yelled, voice cracking with something I had not anticipated. Fear, was it? "Never touch me!"_

_Charlie's roars of fury filled the house. Even, from two levels up, I clasped my hands over my ears. Then, there was a sound I wasn't expecting._

_My mother's piercing cry replaced Charlie's rage-filled yells._

_There was a gunshot. It replaced the noises all together._

_I was young, and I didn't know any better. I got out of my bed and ran downstairs in my Little Mermaid PJ's. I stumbled on the steps as I ran, and I could feel my face getting hot, and wet._

_When I made my way down the last couple of stairs, I froze._

_In my dad's hands was a bottle of booze, and a .24 riffle._

_On the ground next to him, was my mom's lifeless form. A pool of red forming around where her heart was. Her eyes were wide open, terror-struck, and empty. I gasped, and suddenly couldn't breathe._

_He saw me standing there, and realized that I knew what had happened._

_"This is your fault!" He shrieked at me. "You did this!"_

_Then, he dropped the bottle, which shattered into a million pieces, showering my mom with the poison inside that consumed my father to do such deed's, and he ran towards me._

_I didn't have time to run anywhere, so I stood motionless- still as a statue in front of him. He clasped onto my neck and slammed my head against the wall. I struggled with all my strength to remove his hands that were now strangling me. I was slowly slipping, that I could tell. My feelings of sense were starting to fade, when suddenly, he released me._

_He released me, and I fell to the floor. He stood there staring at me for what felt like hours. His eyes looked foreign and alien-like. My face, struck with horror and fear, as I remained still, breathing heavily. After another long moment, he finally removed his eyes from mine and moved them to my mother's. He looked at them for a long while, and then, broke down sobbing. He fell to his knees, clenching fists of his hair in his hands, and wailed out. I glanced at my dead mother one last time, and regretted it instantly, for that was the image that would come to haunt me for the rest of my life._

And that was the image that haunted me. It always had, and I knew always would. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. The only negative impact my showers had on me were the memories. For some reason, every time the painful memories came back to me. I tried as hard as I could each time to block them away, but it was a lost cause.

I remember how disgusted I was when I realized that Charlie had gotten away with this inexcusable murder. Since he was a cop, he new a few decades worth of good tricks and tactics that would cover up what he had done. By the time all the paper-work was done, it had been declared that Renee Swan had died from a heart-attack that had been internally bleeding for a while, that finally burst. I didn't understand how he managed, but whatever he did worked, and that was that.

I was asked questions after the incident, about what really happened. I was forced to keep every speck of knowledge I had of the crime locked up inside my mind and kept away from everyone. I remembered the conversation Charlie had with me the next day...

_"I will kill you," he stated as if it were nothing, glaring at me. He paused, in thought, and decided how to go on, "I will kill you if you speak of what happened here last night to anyone. If anyone shall to find out about this, you will be dead in a heart-beat. Do you hear me?" His eyes bore into mine. I realized I didn't know this man anymore. My father was a stranger to me. The kind, care-worn Charlie I used to know was gone._

_I gulped, and nodded at him. What choice did I have? Also, who would believe a merely 9 year-old girl, over a highly accomplished and respectable cop?_

_He smiled at me. It wasn't a smile at all, though. It was a sneer. He was laughing that my mother- his wife, was dead. He lowered his face, inches from mine, so that I could see the black, and evil in his eyes. He brought up his hand and gently brought it across my cheek._

_"You monster," I muttered angrily under my breath. He truly didn't care that she was dead._

_His eyes became wide with anger. "What?" He spat._

_I glared right back at him, and didn't say another word._

_All the sudden, he brought his hand up, and there was searing pain along the right side of my face. He slapped me. My own father, just slapped me._

_"You will answer me when I'm talking to you, god dammit!" Then he walked out the door, and lit a cigar. I wasn't going to be telling anybody._

I've always wondered what would happen if I were to tell anyone. I knew it happened 8 years ago, but still, to see my dad riding in the back-seat of a police car that belonged to one of his co-workers, as he was charged of 1st degree murder, and told that he would have to be in prison for a lifetime would be the best moment in my life.

I was a coward though. I was afraid of what would happen if I were to speak up about something like this, that he would come and find me, even after he was locked up behind iron bars for the rest of his life. I knew he'd find a way. So I kept my mouth shut.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I made my way into my bedroom, and stared at the untouched bed that I should have been sleeping in last night. I wished I could get the peaceful sleep that I always saw those around me get. I envied them. It was a mixture of fear, pain, and memories that kept me awake most nights. I would eventually get to sleep, but by the time I did, I'd only get about 3-4 hours before I was woken up the the screeching of the alarm clock.

After getting dressed, I slowly made my downstairs. I picked up and put the trig homework I had from last night into my backpack, and slung it across my back. I braced myself for Charlie waiting downstairs. He was a very unpredictable man, so I had to be ready for anything at all times.

"Bella!" He yelled as I entered the room, "Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for my eggs for a good fifteen minutes!"

The man loved his eggs. I hurried to the stove and set the pan over it while I went and got the contents out of the refrigerator. I could hear Charlie huffing impatiently from the table, as he waited to be served.

I took my time making his eggs just perfect and the way he liked them. Not because I wanted to, or out of love, but because there would be hell to pay if I didn't. Recent experiences had definitely proven that. I automatically moved my hand to my left wrist at the memory. It was faded, and barely noticeable unless you really looked- the scar from the burn. About a year ago, I had accidentally left meal on the fryer for a minute too long, and he was not satisfied. He yelled for about ten minutes, on how I should be more careful, and accused me of doing it on purpose by trying to food poison him. He had taken my wrist and turner the burner to our gas stove on high. He took and held my wrist over the top of the flames until positive that I had learned my lesson. I didn't cry though. It did no good to cry, for when I did, it encouraged him to go on with his sick games. So I held it all in. All the time.

"When are the damn eggs gonna be ready?" He asked, irritatedly from the table. "I need my protein, and you know that Bells."

"Protein my ass," I murmured under my breath, too low for him to hear. I didn't usually swear, but when Charlie got me worked up like that, it normally slipped.

I flipped them one last time, satisfied by my work, and slid them onto his plate. It took everything I had not to spit on them, but I knew I'd get caught, so I forced a smile on my face, and set the plate down in front of him.

"Took you long enough," he muttered disapprovingly. He looked at me, and looked me over to check out the damage he had done last night. His lips twitched, and I could tell he was pleased by the result of things. "Cover up that mark on your face, Bells," he ordered, mouth full of eggs. "Don't want kids to make fun of you now, do you?"

I snorted. Sure, he was worried about me being made fun of.

He looked up from his breakfast and glared at me. His eyes were cold and resentful. They were actually just downright scary. I swallowed and nodded. I didn't want a repeat of last night. That, I don't think me _or_ my body could take again.

I grabbed my keys and made my way to the door. He looked up from his meal once again, and his look was one that told me otherwise.

"Leaving so early?" He taunted. "We haven't been able to have much quality time this morning."

This frightened me. Usually when he would say that, he meant that it was time for another session. I dreaded another session. He must've been in an extra bad mood, because he never did this in the morning.

I stood up, still and tall, knowing he'd be harder on me if I protested, instead of just taking it like nothing. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and waited. I heard his chair squeak across the linoleum, and involuntarily took a step back, praying it wouldn't hurt that bad.

"Now Bella," he started. I had heard this line millions of times, and expected what was coming next.

I wasn't expecting it when his foot caught contact with my right shin. I was expecting way worse I guess, so oddly enough, I was thankful. One more time, just a little harder this time, and he walked away. I figured now would be a good time to make my escape, so I bolted to the door. Well, limped actually. Charlie had one _hard_ foot.

I pulled into the school parking lot just a little earlier than usual. It was better than spending another fifteen minutes with Charlie though. Definitely better. I turned off the ignition, and took out my book and started to read for the next half hour. I loved to read more than anything in the world, and it certainly passed the time. It was also my chance to avoid what today would bring for as long as possible. School had been getting worse lately.

I sighed when I heard the bell ring, and stepped out of my car and slammed the door. I was probably going to be a little bit late to class, but my teachers wouldn't mind. I'd imagine it'd be hard to get mad at one of your students with a 4.0 grade average.

History was my first class, and my least favorite as well. Ms. Stone gave me a stern look as I took my seat in the back row. She hated it when people interrupted her class. As I sat down, I saw Victoria glaring daggers at my head. Just like always. I gave her the sweetest, bitchiest smile I could, and turned back to my work.

Vicky and I hadn't always been enemies. We were actually best friends up until the 5th grade. That was when her parents got divorced. I at first felt sorry for her, and tried to do anything I could to help, even though I had my own problems. I've always regretted being that nice to her now, because since then, she's hated me for nothing, and spread the most awful rumors about me everywhere. Every day. And, of course, everyone believes Queen Victoria. Sometime along the lines of our friendship, she became bitter. It was most likely when James started liking me. She loved James, probably more than life itself, but James liked me. I didn't like him though, because dating just really wasn't something I was interested in. After years of the resentment and crap I'd gotten, I'd learned to trust no one.

I did go out with James though, and it was probably one of the worst mistakes in my life. I still don't even remember why I did it. Maybe to prove something? I wasn't sure. Because, now he's with Vicky, even though he still sends me gross sexual signals from across the room. Him and Vicky managed to get the whole school to hate me, in just a matter of days, by saying terrible things about me, which I really couldn't do anything about. I couldn't even bring myself to think about some of the things they've spread. Point is, I was the freak of the school. The freak-loser, that got avoided, and hated by everyone. Except the dumbass guys who all wanted to get with me. I honestly didn't get why though. I was plain, ordinary Bella. Nothing special or out the ordinary. Definitely nothing like Victoria, and her two little groupies- Jessica Stanley, and Lauren Mallory. Yeah, it was safe to say that they were the no-doubt sluts of the school.

The thing was- I didn't care that everyone talked about me behind my back, or that guys would always grab my butt as they walked past me and pretended they didn't, or that I didn't have any friends to talk to about anything with, or that I ate alone at lunch everyday. Yeah, didn't care one bit.

The second bell rang, and I realized that I missed all of the teacher's lecture on the Cold War. Lucky for me, I learned about all these things numerous times. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Jess and Lauren smiling down at me.

"Still stealing shoes from your grandma, Swan?" Lauren taunted.

"Those are obviously her great-grandma's Laur," Jess giggled. I rolled my eyes. They sounded like 2nd graders, and the best part was, I didn't care. It still hurt though, even though I didn't care. I tried to appear strong on the outside, because on the inside, my mind was screaming out in pain. Don't doubt the wise guy who once discovered that word's could hurt more than actions.

I smiled convincingly, and turned to walk away.

I heard there 6 inch heels clicking behind me. They just weren't going to give up, were they?

"Oh, and by the way, Vicky would appreciate that you stopped making googly eyes at her boyfriend," Jessica paused, "Oh, and you might wanna stop shoping at Good Will. Those close are for poor people who can't afford things." She smiled, "Oh wait, that's you."

Lauren giggled. "Good one, Jess," She laughed and turned back to glare at me.

"I think her shirt's cool," A voice I'd never heard, that came from nowhere said. I turned to see a short, pixie-like girl, with short, spiky, black hair, and a beautifully pale face. She looked like a supermodel. I would definitely have recognized her if she went here, so that meant she must have been one of the kids from the new family that was suppose to be moving here.

She held out her hand for me to shake it. It seemed like she meant no harm, so I took it hesitantly, and returned the gesture.

"I'm Alice Cullen," She smiled. I couldn't help but smile at how friendly she was. I didn't get that a lot.  
"Bella Swan," I told her, smiling back hesitantly. "Are you new?"

Jessica and Lauren had walked off by now, so it was just be and this bizarrely beautiful girl talking at my locker. I was amazed by how comfortable I was around her, even though just meeting her. That was definitely weird for me. I never felt comfortable around _anyone_.

"Yeah, my family and I just moved here from Illinois," she informed me. "I really do like your shirt, by the way." She pointed out again.

I blushed. I normally didn't get compliments from _anyone_ about my appearance. I didn't know why, but for some reason, I loved Alice already, which says a lot, because I couldn't trust anyone anymore, and no one ever noticed me. "Thanks," I said shyly. "Wait, family?"

"Yeah," she told me, "It's me, Emmett, and Edward." She paused, "Oh, and Jasper and Rosalie Hale, but there not related to us. My dad, Carlisle, adopted them after their parents both died in a car accident." She said sadly. Her expression remained indifferent though, and kept going. "Jasper's my boyfriend," she giggled, "We've been together for 5 years now. It's wonderful."

I smiled at her, warily. She seemed like a great person, and for knowing her only this long, it felt like I'd finally made a friend, and not an enemy. I hoped. But soon the rumors would get to her and I wouldn't exist to her as well as anyone else.

"That does sound wonderful," I sighed.

"What is it?" She asked, curiously.

"Oh nothing," I told her. I didn't even want to began touching the subject on my life story. That wasn't something you'd likely tell someone you've known for five minutes. Especially if you had a life story like mine.

"Bella..." She started, but stopped. "Hey Rose!" She called at the beautiful blonde walking towards us now, "Come here, come here! I want you to meet someone!" She practically sang.

As I got a closer look at _Rosalie_ I assumed, I saw that she was by far the most stunning girl I'd ever seen. It almost made my stomach hurt that someone could be so gorgeous and not be mean, but the smile that she was wearing seemed genuine and friendly, so I tried not to worry.

"Bella, this is Rosalie Hale," Alice squeaked excitedly. She turned to Rose. "This is Bella, and I can tell all of us are going to be great friends already!"

I couldn't help buy smile a little at Alice's chipper attitude, and hoped for infinity that what she said about us being friends would be true.

"Hi Bella!" Rosalie hugged me, then turned to Alice. "How cute is her shirt?"

I was a little caught off guard by her hug, because normally the only contact I would get from anyone was negative. And, what the hell was going on? I wasn't miss fashionista, and I just got two compliments by the two most beautiful girl's I'd ever seen. As pathetic as it was, this was already one of the best days of the year.

"I know right," Alice exclaimed. "I'd love one in pink! It'd be just darling."

The bell rang again as a sign for us to get to our next class.

"Well, I'm off to English!" Alice announced cheerfully. Rose, not so cheerful, "I'm going to Earth Science." She groaned.

"Hey, Alice," I said, "I have English right now too."

She hugged me and told me how excited she was to get to now me. I told her likewise. I wondered if people ever got tired of her happy-go-lucky attitude. I was surprise I hadn't yet, but she was just so quirky you couldn't help it.

We said our goodbyes to Rose and I wished her luck, feeling sorry that she was stuck in such a horrible class. I would know, I had that class last year. Though I didn't tell her that.

Alice did all the talking, so it wasn't hard to worry about awkward conversation or anything. I doubted anything would be weird around Alice. She had this strange aura surrounding her. At time while we were walking, I felt the pain of last nights beating radiate through my stomach. I pushed away the pain as best I could though, and tried very hard to enjoy this strange, yet friendly conversation I was getting.

Mrs. Jannis let Alice sit next to me. Alice pulled out her devastatingly heartbroken face when she told Mrs. Jannis that I was her only friend. So, poor teacher really had no choice.

Lucky for us, it was a study day, so Alice talked and talked and told me everything I would possibly need to know about her life. I told her mine, only in very minor details. Nothing too important at all. When I told her about my mom, she got all teary eyed and hugged me. She really did have a thing for hugging. I didn't let her know about Charlie's ways, and told her what a wonderful man he was. It made me sick that I was covering for him.

Bye the end of the hour, I had learned that her favorite food was raspberries, her favorite movie was _The Notebook_, and her favorite position was 'doggie-style', though that was one thing I told her she really didn't need to gloss out the details for me on. She pouted a little at that, but agreed to keep the briefing of her and Jasper's sex life activities to a minimum. She also scheduled a shopping date after school for her, Rose, and I, and told me I would have to meet the rest of her family right away.

I was a little scared, because I hated shopping, and just being with people in general, but I thought things could be interesting with Alice, and I'd never been asked to do anything with anyone in so long, I couldn't help but feel a little excited. I didn't like to open myself up to anyone or let them in my bubble, but Alice was different, and was like an unavoidable force that I couldn't just help but let in.

Normally, at lunch, I'd sit by myself, alone at the table in the far corner of the cafeteria. So when lunch came, Alice asked me where I sat, and I told her.

"Bella," she gasped, "How can you sit by yourself everyday?" She seemed stunned. Like it was crazy that a girl like me avoided people.

I just shrugged.

She seemed determined. "Well, not for long," she told me, "It's time you meet the rest of my family!"

We stood in line, well, I stood in line. I don't know if what Alice was doing was considered standing. She was twisting and twirling around, eagerly searching the student body for her family. I had to admit that I _was_ sort of anxious to meet them. If they were anything like Alice, things would probably be great. I stopped myself before I could get my hopes up. Suddenly, I felt sick. They wouldn't care for me much after Vicky and her groupies got to them. Alice noticed my change in attitude, but my look must have told her to let it go.

I was bitter, and I knew it. I wished I could change that about me, but I couldn't. I knew that, for I had tried many, many times, and each of them got me nowhere. It was clear where my place was in this world was, and I was just so hurt and confused as to why I deserved it. Why anyone would deserve such a fate.

I ordered my lunch, and warily waited for Alice to do so also. I showed her to the table I sat at, and she immediately took her place across from me. We were soon joined by Rosalie who sat down besides me, with a huge, muscular boy, with short, curly hair right next to her. He looked terrifying, yet like a huge teddy-bear all at the same time. He gave me a warm smile, and introduced himself.

"I'm Emmett Cullen," He told me cheerfully, and reached out to shake my hand. I ignored the way his arm muscles flexed and the way that they could have easily snapped my wrist in half, and shook his hand back with the friendliest smile I could manage.

"I'm Bella," I stated back, smiling, as I started to munch on my carrot stick. I didn't know where the sudden confidence came from, but it was just hard not to be comfortable around these people. It was easy to forget about what happened last night.

A loud cry came from Alice as she stood up and ran to another tall, lean boy, with the strangest hair I'd ever seen, yet still extremely good-looking. She jumped into his arms, and he kissed her passionately. This had to be Jasper.

"Bella, this is Jasper!" Alice sang. Yep, I was right. "Jazz, this is Bella!" She told him, while kissing him one last time and pulling him to the spot next to her.

"Pleasure's all mine, Bella," I could hear a slight southern draw in his accent. It was adorable. I shyly smiled back at him and nodded. Why did I have to be so damn shy all the time?

There was a few moments of silence as we all started eating, and Emmett broke it.

"Does anyone know where the hell Edward is?" He asked, annoyed. "He's such a prick sometimes, and I saw a hundred girls practically throwing themselves at him. Of course, typical Edward, he pushed them all away. Dude could have any girl he wanted, but no, he's jut not into that." He emphasized the last part with air quotes. "Seriously though, do you guys think he's gay?"

Alice kicked his foot from under the table and glowered at him.

Rosalie snickered and wrapped her both her arms around his massive arm. "And the girls that were throwing themselves at you?" She asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"You're the only one babe," he said affectionately, playfully kissing her ear.

They were all just so easy-going and carefree, I loved it. And I would be so hurt when they finally realized the freak show I was. It would be soon, too. Victoria would make them top priority on her list, as beautiful as they all were, to suck them into her command. And the thing was, I would loose. Vicky got what Vicky wanted. End of story.

We sat there eating for a couple more minutes when suddenly, there was a loud burst through the door. To say this boy was gorgeous would be practically an insult. His hair was messed up in a beautiful disarray of bronze perfection, his facial features were magnificently proportioned, and his shoulders were squared off, though not purposely, and he was tall with the perfect amount of muscle to not overdue it. The reason I knew that his boy was Edward Cullen wasn't only because of how pale he was compared to his siblings. It was the fact that his beauty captured the attention of the entire senior class, and caused all eyes on him.

Edward was pissed though. _Really_ pissed. That you could easily tell by his set jaw, and the angry crease line across the center of his forehead. He looked around, for his family I assumed, until he finally spotted Alice's tiny figure waving him over.

He scowled at all the on-lookers before he huffed and sat down in his chair.

"God man, switch your fucking tampon," Emmett chuckled sarcastically from across the table. Edward sent a cold, razor sharp glare his direction, clearly indicating to his brother that he did _not_ feel like being messed with.

I think everyone at the table was afraid to say something to this, clearly frustrated Edward. Especially me. _Definitely_ me. There was something about his glare that reminded me of Charlie, and that had me slightly cringing into my seat.

"Edward!" Alice scolded, slapping him in the shoulder. "You're scaring our friend!" She gestured towards me. I quickly looked down before he could notice me staring. I could tell everyone was waiting for me to say or do something, so I finally lifted my face and eyes up to meet the green eyes that I were instantly mesmerized in. The eyes of an angel.

They gazed back at me, at first seeming just as mesmerized as me, even though I knew that was insane, and turned to pure curiosity. I quickly looked away and blushed. I thought he wasn't looking at me anymore, but he still was. Still staring into my eyes, though I'm not sure what they were exactly looking for. I could feel a ghost of a smile spreading across my face, though I couldn't help it. I don't think anyone would be able to either, being in the same situation.

He turned his face up into a beautiful crooked smile, that would only work if he did it. I instantly imagined Eric Yorkie, class clown, trying to pull off the same move. I was completely dazzled, which was ridiculous, seeing as in I'd only known him for a grand total of about a minute and I was alright swooning inside over that smile. Pathetic Bella.

"I'm Edward, if you hadn't guessed," he chuckled slightly, "You must be the friend Alice was talking about, then?"

I nodded. "Bella," I told him.

"Well then," he extended his hand towards me, "It's awfully nice to meet you, Bella."

I smiled, and eagerly took his hand in mine, then quickly pulled away before making myself look like a total idiot. Though, it didn't escape my notice that my hand fit perfectly with his. I sighed quietly to myself, and went back to eating my lunch in silence. I was hopeless.

"So Edward," Jasper began hesitantly, as if he were afraid Edward's sudden change in mood would end up the way it was when he first joined us. "Why the big show on the way into the cafeteria?"

Emmett choked on his milk to refrain from laughing.

"Bite me," Edward muttered under his breath. His dark mood was back.

"Ed, talk to us," Okay, Alice would probably eventually get annoying as a sister. He glared back at her before he sighed and reached into his jean pocket. He pulled out about a dozen crumpled pieces of colored notebook paper, set them on the table, and sat there staring at him. No, not staring, he was glaring freaking daggers at those pieces of paper.

Emmett eagerly reached for one of them, on crumpled it, cleared his throat very theatrically, and began to read, "_Dear Edward, a god-like creature with such beauty and popularity should be with a god-like creature with even more beauty, like me. I know we can turn this into something incredible and alluring, I would know, I'll already know you play piano and bet my ass that those are some talented fingers. Just think about it, we'd be a perfect match. ~Your little sex kitten, Lauren_" Emmett couldn't even finish that last part, he was laughing so hard. Wow, Lauren _would _write something like that to him. I was just amazed by the fact that she actually used the word _alluring_ correctly in a sentence. I snorted quietly, heck, she probably had someone from Poet Class do it for her.

I turned to steal a peek at Edward's face, and he was literally fuming in the seat next to me. Not embarrassed or anything, just down right furious. Rosalie eagerly reached for the next note and did the same as Emmett, "_Edward, I need you baby, I need you,_" she paused, really emphasizing the need part of that sentence. Alice snickered and Rose continued, "_it's people like us in this world that are destined to be together, and I know this because I'm, well, I'm THE girl Edward. I could satisfy you in ways I bet no other women could, and I know that because, well men shower me with that compliment all the time. XOXO, Jessica_" She finished the last part with disgust, and I could swear she muttered something along the lines of "skanky hoe" under her breath. She wasn't far off at all.

At this point, even I had to laugh a little. Though, I wasn't a heartless person, and still did feel real bad for Edward that he had to deal with all this crap on the first day. I should know, I've dealt with it everyday for the past five years.

Jasper laughed and picked up another to start reading, "_Dear Edward, Even though we've just met, I've been having incredible fantasies that I. . ._"

Edward slammed his fist on the table to cut him off. It was wise move when Jasper stopped reading when he did. On the assumption he wanted to keep that pretty face of this.

"Uh, Edward?" Emmett asked, puzzled. "Why are you even keeping these?" He cautiously motioned his hands the the pile of pink, frilly stationary.

Edward smiled curtly, and gritted through his teeth, "So I can put them on a restraining order, Em." Each word was very separate, and distinct. "They're signed."

Emmett picked one up off the table and rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Cullen doesn't count, dude."

Edward groaned and threw his head back in frustration. We all stared at him silently, still eating our food. I'd already come to learn two things- Edward did not care for slutty girls, attention for that matter. And he had very rapid mood swings. And a bad temper. Whoops, make that three.

"Well," Emmett sighed, rather loudly, "if you're not going to be needing these Edward Ol' buddy. . ." Emmett was cut off my Rose's angry intake of breath.

"Why don't you go on and finish that sentence Em," Jasper snickered, obviously referring to Rose, crossing her arms very angrily, shaking her head at him.

"What babe," he said innocently, "Just broadening my horizons. . ." He broke off mid-sentence, after her face got beyond the point of just a little pissed. Alice patted him on the back.

"Not the right thing to say, my brother. Do you know anything?" She quickly rushed to Rosalie's side and comforted her by telling her how all boys are stupid and other stuff like that.

"Your funeral," Edward muttered, quite amused. How the hell does that even work? For crying out loud, he went from beyond pissed, to melting my heart, to pissed beyond words again, to amused? I'd be sort of concerned at this point, but his siblings seemed indifferent to his behavior, as if they were used to it, so I decided it was fine.

I giggled slightly, and he turned just slightly to flash another quick smile at me. That had me giggling even more. Why was I acting like this? Yesterday I couldn't talk to anyone, and now all of a sudden I was somewhat laughing and having fun. I sadly got back to reality and finished the rest of my lunch eating in silence, and went to dump my tray.

The others followed my lead and were laughing and talking behind me as I walked alone. I heard a sigh from my side and turned to see Edward staring at me with a pained expression crossing his face.

"Are all the girls at this school sluts?" He asked annoyed. I knew he wasn't directing that at me, or at least I hoped he wasn't, and decided to mess with him a bit.

I gasped, looking appalled. His eyes immediately widened in horror.

"No, I just," he sat there stuttering, trying to come up with something to say, "I didn't mean-" He stopped when he realized I was silently laughing. He glared at me at first, then it turned into a playful smile. "Hey," he taunted. "Be nice to the new guy." I rolled my eyes at him, but he didn't know the real meaning behind the motion. Be nice to him, yeah, it kind of sounded like a demand to me. Like, I had no choice. I obviously _was_ going to be nice to him, it's just that it hurt me to know that if I asked that request to anyone at this school, they would laugh and tell me that I should just go back to not talking at all.

"Hey," Edward was waving his hand in front of my face. I zoned out on him. I tended to do that a lot, but not intentionally. I looked up at him and gave him a wary smile. "What's wrong?" He asked, grabbing my arm, stopping me as I walked away.

I cringed, because even through the layer of the shirt I had on, the place where he grabbed still stung from where Charlie had cut me. He looked me in the eyes, making me loose my train of thought. Something in his eyes were just so powerful, and controlling, and beautiful. I quickly looked away and muttered, "It's nothing," as I tried walking in the other direction again. Once again, he caught my arm in the same spot as last time, only a tiny little 'Ow' slipped out of my mouth, and I cringed again.

"Bella, did I hurt you?" He asked, worried. "Oh god, I didn't hurt you did I?" He turned around to face the wall, and brought his hands up to run through his messy hair. He turned back at me with such a painful expression that it made my heartbreak. "Bella, please forgive me, I'm such an asshole sometimes, I know, but I just want to make sure you're okay."

I nodded to him slowly. "Yeah, it's just my arm." I half-lied. It _was_ partly my arm, though I didn't need to let him know what a small part of it that was.

"Bella," he started. Him and his sister were awfully alike. Nosy. I knew they both meant well though. "Bella, the look at the lunch table told me otherwise. Are you sure you're okay?"

I just nodded to him again, and this time avoided his eyes. I was afraid one more look in them would cause me to spill everything. Yeah, they had that affect on me. It was so strange at the way I felt around Edward. He had this weird power over me, and it wasn't bad. I didn't think.

I turned to walk away, and for a third time, he stopped me. I couldn't really say I was getting annoyed though. The fact that someone like him was paying attention to someone like me at all was enough for me. I sighed, "Yeah, Edward?" I asked politely.

"Look Bella," he paused, "I know I may come off as someone you wouldn't want to hang out with, but I'd really wish you would give me a chance. I want to be your friend." There was a very, very faint hint of longing in his voice, but not enough to creep me out. Why on earth would he want to be friends with me though?

"Thanks Edward," I said sadly. "I'm sorry if I seem like a total bitch to you. I'm just," I stopped and looked off to the distance at nothing, "I'm just. . .It's complicated."

I knew that he knew that I didn't really want to get into it any further, so he let it go, and smiled at me. "I know we just met, but I just want you to know that I'm hear if you ever need anyone to listen." He told me sincerely.

I gave him the best smile back that I could manage, and walked away, rubbing my arm soothingly from the searing pain that was rekindled. I didn't blame Edward, though. He didn't know any better. How could he have?

As I walked to my last class of the day, I couldn't help but rerun the conversation I just shared with the strangely welcoming, and beautiful Edward Cullen. He was to good to be true, especially if he was wanting to be friends with me. Something about the way he told me he'd be there, made me trust him completely. It was amazing that I felt that way. I shouldn't have been feeling that way.

**Alright, there's chapter one!  
I apologize for really glossing over how bad Charlie treats her, I just wanted to make sure you guys could see the reality of it. It'll get happier, don't worry. Next chapter's EPOV, I promise!**

**I'll most likely be updating this story with a new chapter every week (preferably weekend), so there you have it!**

_**Reviews are better than love notes to Edward!(:**_


	2. Numb: Linkin Park

**So, here's the next chapter.**

**I wanna give a shout-out to all my amazing reviews, your guys are, well, amazing!**

**I'd like to dedicated this chapter to my uncle.**

**He recently passed away this Wednesday, so this one's for him(:**

**Chapter Song: Numb – Linkin Park**

**(Last weeks was Untitled – Simple Plan)**

**Well, that's it.**

**Rate & Review, as always!**

**EPOV**

Behind her chocolate brown eyes, there was something more. Something deep. She wasn't fooling any of us. The fake smile, and then there were the _eyes_. In her eyes, I could sense something very clearly. It was pain. And she hid it well, I had to give her that. For some reason, after gazing into her huge eyes, I felt a little pain myself. I had no idea why I was even having all these thoughts. It was probably just an off day for her or something. I mean, girls went through all kinds of shit like that all the time, right?

Still though, I wanted to learn more. I wanted to get to know Bella. So far, she wasn't like any of the girl's I'd met here. The obvious sluts, and shallow ones that only wanted to get with me so they could tell there silly little friends and brag about it. I knew better then to trust girl's like that. Now, at least. I tried to find reasoning to why I was obsessed with getting to know her though.

It wasn't that she wasn't pretty, because she was. She definitely was, but, as I learned many times over and over, you can't judge a girl on her appearance. But this Bella Swan, the moment I looked into her eyes, she had my undivided attention. That sounded really hokey and corny, but I didn't mean wanting to get to know her as in wanting to get with her. I honestly knew that the intentions I had were good. I wanted to get to know Bella. It was as simple as that.

So why the hell was Alice sending me supposedly meaningful glances the whole lunch period? Didn't she know to lay off? I was already pissed enough as it was, and leave it to Em to make me feel shittier. I'd have to find the politest way I could to let all the girls here now I wasn't interested in a relationship. I don't know why, I just wasn't. Emmett always accused me of being gay, and that really made me mad. Hadn't he seen the damn Playboy magazines that I had stashed in my closet? He had to have. He was just messing with me. But, that was Emmett.

After lunch was over, I tried to let Bella know that I'd be her friend, since oddly enough, it didn't seem like she exactly had any. Which made me sad and pissed off again. Why wouldn't someone want to be friends with this girl? She obviously cared more about keeping herself closed up, then actually trusting someone and letting them in. It was also pretty clear that she really didn't have many friends present. I wanted to know what made her like that. I wanted to help.

I also didn't have a crush on Bella. I knew _that_ for a fact. How could I? I've know the girl for not even a day. It was pure curiosity, and that was it. She needed a friend. I'd be that friend. We all would. I could tell already that my family cared for her. We were just what she needed.

Emmett, always able to make anyone laugh on any occasion. Jasper, all to knowing and understanding that anyone could talk to him about anything. Rosalie, a bitch at times, but fierce and protective to the ones she loved. Alice, little Alice could make anyone feel welcome and like they belonged. And me, not to be cocky, but I'd like to think of myself as a healthy combination of the four. I knew she needed us, even if she might not have even knew it herself.

I didn't like to assume she had a problem, or jumping to conclusions, but Esme always told me I had an incredible way of reading people. And, by the looks of this afternoon, Bella definitely had some things in her life that weren't great. I'd make it my top priority to fix this problem. 'Cause I knew what it was like to feel unloved. Trust me, I knew.

Due to the alternation of classes every other day, I only had Astronomy left. Fuck that, I hated those damn stars. The only reason I joined that stupid class was because I needed it to get enough credits to get out of high school, and it was either that or baking. I didn't bake. I _couldn't_ bake.

So, the next hour and a half was literally hell. An understatement really- to call it that would practically be insulting the devil. A girl named Victoria was in my class, and me being the lucky guy I was, got to sit by her. I rolled my eyes when I sat down next to her and she faced me, basically jutting her whole effing chest at me. Very unimpressive. Also, she kept telling me all her 'sexual accomplishments' in life, to which had me glaring at the front of the classroom in disgust, and continuously fighting back the urge of throwing up. I didn't get why the hell women thought it was so attractive to sleep with a guy a night, and that they had 5 plastic surgeries done on there nose. Didn't get it at all. Or women, for that matter. But honestly, what sorry-ass did?

When the end of the day bell rang, it was safe to say I was the first one out of the room, met by Alice and Jazz's smiling faces. Sure, _they_ had a good day. They were put into every class together.

"Hey Ed," Alice said cheerfully as we headed for the parking lot. We all drove together, since Esme had lately been very environmentally aware. The whole family's been having to 'go green' and all that shit. It was annoying, but we couldn't say no to Esme, and it honestly didn't really impact our lives too much.

I wasn't really paying attention to the conversation Alice and Jazz were having behind me, though I'm sure it didn't concern me. Em and Rose were already waiting by the Volvo, showing some serious PDA. Emmett was groping her ass as they kissed passionately against the hood of the car. As I looked away, I saw Bella slowly making her way to her truck. She looked so sad. For some reason, I wanted to run to her and ask her what was wrong, but my new obsession over this girl would probably creep her out. Hell, I would've been creeped if _I_ were her. That wasn't my intention though, so I took a mental note to _not_ be as odd as possible. I was still staring at her when her eyes looked up and met mine. She gave me a wary smile, and quickly looked away. I didn't even get a chance to smile back.

The three of us got into the car, with the exception of the two love birds that were basically dry humping now. Disgusting. I sighed, irritated, and abruptly honked the horn. They apparently hadn't noticed we had even arrived, so were taken by surprise by my hostile stare through the windshield. Rose gave me a look like, "Bite me," and Emmett just grinned like an idiot being caught after stealing one too many cookies from the cookie jar.

He climbed in the front seat and playfully punched me in the shoulder. I glared at the road ahead. He was clearly taken aback by my hostile attitude, but I deserved some leeway. I had a shitty day. _He_ should know that. He saw the letters, didn't he? That wasn't even half of it though, but I didn't want to dwell back on what had all went down. The past is the past, and what's done is done.

"So, Rose, I can't wait for our shopping trip," Alice squeaked excitedly from the back. "I'm sure she's going to end up being like, our best friend."

"Yeah, I know, I like her already," I heard Rose smile. Okay, who would end up being there best friend? I was curious, but suddenly realized who they were talking about. They had planned a trip to the mall with Bella. I couldn't help but have my lips pull up into a smile after hearing this news. I knew Bella needed this, though she didn't exactly strike me as a mall-rat, like my sister's. I never used the term around Alice, because she'd always end up in tears by the end of the fight we had, and said that if _I_ could have playing my guitar as a hobby, she could do whatever the damn thing she wanted for hers. And according to her, shopping _was _a hobby. She'd probably cut the balls off the next poor guy who made the mistake of telling her otherwise.

"You guys are shopping with Bella?" I couldn't help but ask.

I saw Alice bob her head up and down, "Uh-huh!" She chirped. Then she shot a glance at Rosalie, and the two giggled. I didn't even want to know. I muttered approval and concentrated on driving again. Emmett was fiddling with the radio since I wouldn't talk to him, and it was pretty damn annoying. I swatted his hand away. He pouted and stuck his tongue out at me like a child. Typical Emmett.

Once I pulled into the drive, Esme was out flowering the front garden, waiting for us to come home and see how our first day was. It was very middle-schoolish, but I didn't give a shit. I loved my mother's company almost more than anyone else's. The other's had just mumbled they're "It was fine," to her and dashed into the Cullen mansion. It was pretty over the top if you asked me, but I wasn't complaining. It was a nice house, and a nice place for a fresh start.

"And how was your day, dear?" Esme hugged me gently as I returned the gesture. Yeah, I had to admit I was semi-mamma's boy, but the women was the most kind-hearted person I'd ever, and would ever know.

"It was fine," I felt a little bad for giving her the same boring response as the others, but I was most certainly _not_ going to tell her all about how slutty all the girls were, or how my Social teacher had a spitting problem, or how, oh yeah, I met this girl who I can't seem to stop thinking about, and a few other things that my beloved brother and sisters had been doing. See, those were things you _didn't_ share with your mother, because really, 'It was fine' is a hell of a lot better than, _'Mom, my day was shitty. Girl's threw themselves at me shamelessly, your two children had basically been a step away from sex in the school parking lot, and I met someone who I may actually care about.'_ Yep. Definitely better.

I think she somehow understood what was going on through my mind, so she smiled and nodded, dismissing me to whatever I wanted to go and do. I ran upstairs, grabbed my guitar, and sat down in my old, blue futon. I loved that fucking thing.

As I started to play, I kept picturing those eyes. . ._her_ eyes. . .

God, there was just something about them, though I wasn't sure what. Something about them that made me want to be a better person.

I was still strumming my guitar and humming to myself when little Alice came through the door. She smiled smugly, crossed her arms and went to sit on my head.

"So." She said simply, fiddling with a loose thread on my comforter.s

"So?" I asked back. She wasn't making any sense at all to day. Who knows, maybe that's what this place is doing to her. It sure was having affect on Emmett lately; Dude ran around the whole freaking house skipping all day- You'd think he was on happy pills or some shit. It was weird, but _so_ Emmett.

"So," She stated again, the smug expression crossing her face once more. "Bella." Was all she said.

"What about her?" I gritted through my teeth. I swore, if she was gonna go all Jedi-mind tricky on me, I'd be ringing her little neck, and I'm pretty sure Jazz would not be to pleased.

"Well, you know. . ." She smiled, trying to state something obvious. Let me tell you, whatever she was trying to say was sure as hell not making any sense to me.

"No Alice, I don't know." I gritted through my teeth. This was getting annoying. I was about to tell her to either spit out whatever she was trying to tell me, or to get the hell out.

"Edward," She stood up and walked over to my side. She paused for a long moment, like she was studying me. "Get to know Bella." And with that, she patted me in the shoulder and skipped out of the room, leaving me as confused and baffled as ever.

I went back to playing, strumming random notes that seemed to flow, when I heard my phone vibrate from the nightstand. Ugh. I had a pretty good guess who that could've been. I sighed and got up to answer it. Before I did, I looked at the name flashing on the front- _Tanya_. God, it was what, the eleventh time this week? The women would not leave me alone. Ever since I broke up with her, she'd acted like it never had happened. She still considered us 'together' and I didn't know how she could. It had never been a real serious relationship, and I had never really liked her that much, but she considered us 'lovers'.

"Hello?" I gritted through my teeth, frustrated.

"Oh, hi Eddy!" She sang on the other end of the line, in her high-pitch nozzley voice. I gagged.

"Tanya, don't call me that." I told her curtly, then sighed. "What do you want?"

"Oh Eddi-Edward," she quick corrected herself, "I've just missed you so much baby, when will you come and visit?" I could tell that she was using her pouting as a key to try and be seductive. It really wasn't working, and never really did. I was guilty to admit that it _might have_ the first time she tried it. Or two.

"Tanya," I hissed. "We aren't going out anymore. We aren't together, and I never want to get _back_ together," My anger was clearly overtaking me. "Alright?" I asked, sourly.

I her sniffles on the other end of the line. Good, I was glad I had hurt her feelings- Maybe she'd finally come to her senses and realize what the truth is. "But Ed-. . ." I stopped her. How could she even want to still be together- we now lived nine hundred miles from each other. Seriously, what the hell? Talk about a dumb fucking blonde. I knew for that the rest of my life, I'd always regret dating Tanya. _Really_ regret it.

"Save it for the soap opera, Tan," I said angrily, "And leave me the hell alone." I added sourly before slamming my phone shut. I swore, if she called again even _once_, I was calling my phone company to block that number all together. I couldn't deal with her anymore- not now that I had other people I should be more concerned about. A smug smile spread across my face as I picked up my guitar and sat down in my spot again. I would figure this girl out. That was something I _could_ deal with.

**BPOV**

I pulled into the driveway, thanking all the heavens and god's above that Charlie wasn't home yet. I also prayed that maybe, out of a miracle, he'd need to stay late after work. My _ideal_ perfect day. Alice and Rose were suppose to pick me up at around 6:30, and I'd be lucky if I'd end up leaving before he arrived home. That would cut my day with him shorter, immensely so. Maybe, I'd get off the hook tonight. . . Maybe it'd be worse. . .

Two hours later, I had officially finished all my homework when I heard the doorbell ring. Well, ring four impatient times, actually. _Alice_. I rolled my eyes and got up from my bed and headed for the door. Right as my hand hit the door to let Alice in, I heard the door to the garage slam shut, and a very angry Charlie stormed in. His eyes met mine, and all I could see was was pure hatred and loathe.

"What the hell are you doing?" He spat, hanging up his jacket and slipping off his boots while continuing to glare at me. Before I could answer him, there were two more rings from the door. His glare quickly switched from my eyes, to my hand on the handle.

I acted before he could respond, and opened the door to let a very chipper Alice in. She was about to say something when she noted my father's facial expression. She instinctively took a step back and shot me a worried glance. Charlie knew better then to hit me around one of my friends, so he forced a very, _very _phony smile across his face and muttered an embarrassed "hello" under his breath.

Alice looked a little less tense, and was immediately comfortable again. She tugged on my shoulder to leave, telling me Rose was waiting in the car, but my dad cleared his throat for an explanation.

"Er, dad," I told him quietly, not looking up to meet his eyes. "This is Alice, she's a friend from school." Alice very pleasantly waved to him, though he didn't deserve any polite behavior from anyone. I could feel his gaze continuing to bore into my face as he nodded slightly at her. "We're going to go shopping, and probably pick up some dinner," I paused, warily. "There are leftovers in the fridge." I told him nervously. I made him supper every night. This would be a change for him.

There was nothing more to say, so I slipped my shoes on, and Alice told me they'd be out in the car waiting. I couldn't afford to have her leave me alone with him, so I shook my head and told her it'd only be a second. I didn't look to see Charlie's face as I walked out that door, but all I knew was that things would be bad when I got home. _Really_ bad.

I made the choice though, and I stepped down the stairs off the front porch, and told myself everything would be okay. A lie I'd been telling myself all these years.

The shopping trip itself, really wasn't all that horrible. Alice skipped along and entered every store, coming out of each with another three bags in her hand. Rose would just roll her eyes, and I'd laugh a little at that. They were so funny, and so nice. It hurt my stomach to laugh though, so I mostly just smiled a lot. Occasionally, her and Alice would ask me random questions here and there: What's your favorite thing to do, What's Forks like, What are the kids at school like? All my answers were really lame and boring, but they never seemed taken aback by my answers. Always smiling at me. I wished everyone in the world could be like that. But, that really wasn't reality.

A question had come up about Edward once, _So, what do you think of Edward?_ Alice had asked. I shrugged and told her I hadn't really talked to him much, but he seemed nice. They had nodded vigorously and assured me that he was a _great_ guy. Emphasis on the _great_. Then, they exchanged smiles and Alice had whispered something into Rose's ear. I looked down at the ground and ignored them, blushing for some reason.

When it came time for dinner, I told them that it didn't really matter where we ate, and I told them we could take our time and enjoy ourselves. That was my excuse, because the sooner I got home, the sooner the pain would come. I was sure of it. This had put me in an immensely sad mood, but I tried my best to shake it off, not wanting to upset them by my attitude or behavior.

So I put on my game face, and had dinner with my two new girlfriends. And did my best to enjoy every single minute of it while it lasted. As we were driving home, Rose cranked up the radio and sang along to the music. I rarely listened to music, so I was unfamiliar with the song, and the band with that matter. Alice turned around to face me from the front seat, beaming. "Guess what?" She asked.

"What?" I asked warily from my seat behind her.

She turned around to rummage at the bags that were by her feet, and pulled two of them up and threw them onto my lap. "These are for you." She smiled hugely. "I know it'll all fit, and it'll look absolutely adorable, Bella. Trust me, I think I found your perfect color." She told me excitedly.

She had probably spent over a hundred dollars alone, on the clothing now sitting in my lap. I wouldn't except this. I couldn't, but want to so badly. No one ever gave me gifts. No one.

"Oh, Alice," I sighed. I smiled at her then handed the bags back. "I can't except these." I told her.

Her bottom lip pouted out, and, oh god, she was going to give me _that_ face. _Be strong, Bella_ I told myself. "But Bella. . ." She sniffed.

I grumbled, "Fine," and snatched the bags back, clutching them tightly to my chest and hiding the excitement I suddenly had. Rose snickered at Alice, and murmured something sounding like "Works every time," under her breath.

I ran across the front lawn, and headed for the font door. I paused and stared at it for a few seconds, hesitating. I waved back to them as they pulled out of the drive, and turned back to the door. _Come on Bella, just get it over with already_. I was a coward. I new what was coming, and it was definitely not anything new. I took a deep breath, and slowly creaked open the door.

Surely enough, I spotted Charlie, in the living room in his recliner. _Charlie Swan, in the living room, with the remote._ I giggled inside, remembering when my mom and I used to play that game every night. It was my favorite, and she never got tired of it; Always humoring me by playing it. Charlie played with us sometimes, and it was fun. The _old_ Charlie, that is.

He hadn't spotted me yet, so I figured I'd push my luck and head up to my room. He would never go into my bedroom. It was like my sanctuary. But, unfortunately, the floor squeaked as I turned to make my escape. His head snapped up, and the most terrifying smile spread across his face. Oh, god was it scary.

I flinched and stood frozen in my spot. Not able to move, not able to breath. Yes, tonight would be bad.

"So, met some new friends, have we?" He taunted, getting to his feet and setting the remote on the coffee table next to him. I reflectively started to slowly inch my way back against the wall. I felt so small. I had no where to run. He got mad when I wouldn't answer, so I slowly nodded.

"Decided we'd all of a sudden be Miss Social, have we?" He smiled some more, starting to walk towards me.

"I just. . ." I paused, stuttering. Obviously this conversation was going nowhere good, so I decided to try and spare myself by not saying anything that would end up egging him on even more. So I kept my mouth shut. It obviously didn't work out in my favor though. But then again, when did it ever?

"So you thought you'd leave me, your first priority, here alone? To cook, and do dishes? Alone?" His voice was getting higher. I still didn't answer. I could hear in his tone the way he angrily emphasized the _alone_.

His eyes moved from mine, and to the shopping bags in my hands.

"Buy some pretty clothes now, did we?" He asked, smirking and grabbing the bags out of my hands. I couldn't protest, so I continued to be silent and watched as he pulled out the contents of what were in the bags. I myself, had actually not seen what Alice had purchased me yet, so I looked to see what he was pulling out of the bag. Nervous it'd be something flashy and showy, like she would normally wear, I was relieved at the first item he selected out of the bag.

First, there was a dark, royal blue sweater. It looked like it'd be a little too tight-fitting for me, but cute none the less. He threw it on the floor, stepped and stomped on it with his muddy shoes, then kicked it aside. I grimaced then watched him pull out the next item. A light blue, button down, cotton tee-shirt, with a light shade of floral patterning. Even though the shirt would be a little too low cut for my liking, once again, it was still pretty cute. I had to give the girl that, she had style. He did the same thing with it as the other, and reached into the bag once more.

This time, pulling out some dark skinny jeans. Lovely. Charlie glared at the pants then threw them aside along with the other clothing. I sadly looked at the pile, and then back to Charlie. He also threw aside the rest of the bags, and pulled his mouth back into another one of his smiles. Not a happy smile though, it was never that. It was a down right, _terrifying_ smile. The smile that gave me nightmares night after night.

I braced myself for what was coming, and squeezed my eyes shut and waited. It was always better when I closed my eyes, because then I wouldn't have to see it happening, which would only make it hurt more. It didn't take long, when I suddenly felt a hard-thrown punch to my left shoulder. It stung, but wasn't as bad as the usual force he put into his punches.

"That hurt, didn't it?" He smiled at me, tauntingly. That same terrifying smile. "Don't worry, I'm almost finished." He assured me, smirking.

Okay, I was worried, because when he said stuff like that, normally the pain would be worse. If he was only going to hit me twice, he was going to make it worth the while. I inched my back up against the wall even more, when he slammed me into it. My head banged up against it, and I fell to the floor in front of him.

It was like gravity always brought me back to that same spot- Face down, on the ground.

As he walked away laughing and grabbing the remote, I scrambled upstairs and ran to the bathroom to get some Tylenol. That'd be one hell of a headache in the morning, and I wasn't to thrilled by the bruise already swelling on my shoulder. I had gym tomorrow, and the meant volleyball.

The coach didn't let us sit out, so that meant volleyball, with a bad shoulder, and a headache. I groaned quietly. Why did the world hate me?

I frantically pulled into the parking lot, late, and hurried to get my bag and rushed into the school. The Tylenol knocked me out, so I slept through my alarm clock, until Charlie finally burst through the door and started hollering at the top of his lungs about how I needed to be punctual, and how the Swan's were _always_ punctual. I found that kind of irronic.

My first class of the day was Science, so I rushed up to room 114, and slowly opened the door and crept in, as inconspicuously as I could. Unfortunately, the teacher was already in front of the class explaining the lecture for our next lab. He glared at me, and I sent him an tiny apologetic smile and headed for my seat.

I sat down and did my best to pay attention to the ending of his directions for the lab we were going to do, when the door opened again, no more than three minutes later, and in came Edward and all his bronze haired, green eyed glory. Since I was the only one in the room who had an empty seat next to me at my table, ordered Edward to take a seat next to me, and told him that I'd be his new lab partner for the remainder of the year. I'd never had a lab partner, and that was one of the reasons I loved Mr.B so much- He knew about all the kids at school, so he gladly had granted me access to my own table. He quick shot me a wary look, but turned back to Edward to dismiss him to his seat.

Edward sat down next to me, running his hand through his messily perfect hair, and turned to smile at me.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi." I told him back, not being able but to smile a little in return. I couldn't help it, he just carried this feeling with him, of some how comfort and welcome.

I turned my eyes back to the front of the classroom, before Mr.B yelled at us for disrupting his class. I mean, we _did_ both come in late. If it weren't for my usual spot on record, he'd have written me up. He would have also probably written Edward up as well, if it weren't for it being only his second day here.

"And that, class, is how you will determine the sex of a caterpillar, okay?" cheerfully clapped his hands together. "Now start with the process, and finish by writing down your results on the worksheet in front of you." He instructed us. "Begin!" Poor man was divorced three times and had seven dogs. He _lived_ for this kind of stuff.

I heard a groan next to me, and turned to see Edward grimacing in disgust. So much for a manly man. I couldn't help but giggle a little again.

"Are his labs always like this?" He sighed, taking the magnifier and placing it up to the insect. I nodded sadly. "Yeah." It was the truth. Last week we dissected a cow's bladder. Bet he was glad he wasn't there for _that_ one.

I heard him mutter what sounded like a string of profanities under his breath as he passed me the tray with the caterpillars on it. I scooted it over so that it was right in front of me.

"I think it's a guy. . ." He told me, still frowning. ". . .Or a girl?"

I took the magnifier and examined it. "It's a girl," I clarified.

"Oh, wonderful," he moaned.

We both took turns finishing the rest of the lab. We finished with a half hour of time left on our hands. I had to admit, it was nice having the help of someone who could actually get it done. Or maybe it was just nice not to be alone for once. I sighed and laid my head on the table. I was tired from the lack of sleep my headache had provided me with last night, and the fact that it was still there, made me sleepy.

"Tired?" He asked warily, studying my face like he was searching for something. Whatever he had found, must not have pleased him. He continued to frown at me.

I closed my eyes and nodded. The desk was hard an uncomfortable, so I grimaced at it and sat back up. My lip couldn't help but pull into a pout either.

"Not the most ideal place for a nap," I muttered disappointedly.

I looked to see Edward shrugging out of his dark blue fleece hoodie, and rolling it up into a ball.

He was giving me a make-shift pillow.

"Thank you," I told him gratefully. I wasn't used to such kind gestures, so I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face, even though I knew it probably looked broken and all wrong. He returned it with his signature crooked smile, "Not a problem," he assured me sincerely.

I laid the sweatshirt on the desk before me, and nuzzled my head into it and shut my eyes. It smelt _wonderful_. It was almost like a colone, but yet it wasn't. It was his own personal scent, and I inhaled it deeply while basking in it. _Heavenly_.

Not long after, I could feel myself being lulled into a peaceful slumber. . .

**Sorry, I know I left it off at a bad cliffy, but if I added in the next part this would be one helluva chapter. So, I hope you guys liked it. I had fun writing in Ed's POV, and even though it was short, It'll be longer next time!**

**Just a little FAQ~**

**Is this story All-Human? **Yes, there will NOT be any vampires in it. Sorry!

**Why is this story M-Rated? **It's not that bad yet, but it's probably going to get a little sour, so just to be on the safe side.

**When do you normally update this? **I updated it once every week: Either Friday or Sat. (whichever day I can/it's ready)

**So, yeah, that's about it!**

**Thanks guys!**

_**Reviews are better than free clothes from Alice(:**_


	3. Your Guardian Angel: RJA

**Alright, well, I was pretty anxious myself, so I thought I'd put this chapter out a day early, because I really do love you all.  
Here's a very long EPOV, so I hope it satisfies you guys.**

**So the song of the chapter is Your Guardian Angel, by RJA (Yes, it is my favorite band)-  
I'm pretty sure that there's no need to explain why I chose this song; You'll find out(:**

**Also, there's more about it below, but you can check out my website at the following link:  
www(dot)simplydazzling(dot)webs(dot)com  
**

**Shout-out to all my AMAZING reviewers. You guys know who you are.  
Rate and Review, as always!**

**-Justine**

**EPOV**

I sat there, watching Bella Swan sleep. Her face looked so peaceful, and less strained then it normally did when she was awake. All the stress and worry her face always carried was gone. She also had the cutest little snore radiating from her nose as she slept. Every time I heard it, I'd smile.

I knew she wasn't used to having kind gestures made to her- that was obvious by the way her face looked so shocked when I handed her my hoodie. It was really the least I could do. She took it though, and I was glad she did. She looked like she really needed the sleep, and was worn out.

I honestly wouldn't have minded joining her. I got only a few hours of sleep last night myself, and sleeping in caused me to be late for school. Tardies did _not_ make for a happy Esme. She liked all of her kids to be on time, and punctual. I got that lecture while I was scrambling to get ready and stuffing my english muffin in the microwave. No one at our house really liked to cook.

Bella suddenly started to fidget in her sleep. Her face became twisted in pain, and she began mumbling, "Make it stop, make it stop. . ." over and over again. It was just a whisper, but the pain in it was thick and heavy. I panicked and didn't know what to do. She was most likely having a nightmare, and by the sounds of it, it wasn't very pleasant. I didn't know how to comfort her, and when I tapped her on her shoulder to wake her up, she didn't, she just kept stirring in her sleep.

"Bella," I whispered loudly, tapping my foot against hers this time. "Bella, wake up," I nudged her elbow, and still nothing. I wasn't sure what I was suppose to do.

I watched as she continued to stir and moan in her sleep, and was completely helpless. I didn't want to hurt her by waking her up, but I also didn't want her to be embarrassed when people started hearing her. Plus she just looked so damn tired, and I wanted to let her keep sleeping.

"Bella," I tried one more time, using a bit louder of a voice. Still nothing. This time, I slowly inched my lips towards her ear, a little unsure of what I was doing myself. When I was hovering inches above one of them, just enough for me to feel the heat of her body radiating against my mouth, I whispered, "Bella." My breath blowing in her ear.

She stirred a little and her eyes fluttered slightly, but was still not completely awake. I tried it again. "Bella?" I whispered into her ear. Then, I moved my face back a couple of inches to give her some more space. Her eyes slowly opened, and realization suddenly dawned on her.

"Oh god," she whispered, horror-struck as she shot straight up in her seat. Her face turned as red as a tomato. Yeah, that was pretty damn adorable too. "I was talking, wasn't I?"

I nodded at her warily. She groaned and put her face in her hands, hiding herself. "That's so embarrassing." I her her mumble, shrinking into her seat. I disagreed. How was it embarrassing? Millions of people talked in their sleep. I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a completely serious expression.

"Bella," I told her solemnly, "It's okay. I wasn't laughing."

She studied my expression for a little bit, to make sure I wasn't going to burst out in a fit of laughter or something like that I was guessing, until she finally gave me a small, sad smile. Why was she so sad? _Always_. God, she confused the hell out of me most of the time. And that was exactly why I wanted to know more. To get to know her. Lucky for me, I didn't have to badger the information out of her, and she gave me a nice window, I thought so at least.

"What did I say?" She asked, yawning. I gave her a questioning look, then realized what she was talking about. "Oh, um, nothing. . ." I told her. That was bullshit. I was the worst liar ever, and everyone who knew me knew it. Hell, she obviously knew it too by the way her eyes narrowed at me.

"That's crap," she glared at me, "I know you didn't just wake me up for no reason, Edward. What was I saying?" Her voice was so cold, so bitter.

Afraid to upset her even more, I decided it'd just be best to tell her.

"You were saying something along the lines of 'Make it go away', or something like that." I told her honestly. I didn't want to look into her pain-filled eyes, which I knew I'd see if I did look into them.

Once again, she moaned and sank even lower in her seat.

"So," I started lamely, "What was your dream about?" I was really curious what had her so angry and pissed off and upset. I mean, she had a bad dream, and yeah, that'd tend to put someone in a bad mood, but this was just cruel. Whatever it was, it was really bugging her.

"It was nothing," She told me sadly. She took out a book of hers and flipped it open to where she had the page bookmarked. Damn it, I really wanted to know more, but didn't want to bug her, all at the same time. I didn't know why I wanted this so badly, but I did. It was strange, why should I have even cared?

"Oh, okay," I told her. You could hear the disappointment very clearly clouding my voice.

She sighed and looked up from her book. Her eyes met mine, and there was that creamy chocolate that melted my soul. Her eyes were so deep, it was like I could see miles and miles into them, and into her deepest thoughts. Yeah, if only. "What?" She asked, irritated. I was some what taken aback by her hostile attitude, but tried not to let that influence my motives.

"It's nothing," I quoted her favorite line. She took it as an insult and glared at me. Her glare was cold, and hostile, making the cream in her eyes freeze. Like ice cream, but definitely _not _sugar-sweet. _She though I was mocking her. _Was there anything in this world that I could do right? Seriously, someone up there hated me, and I knew it. I guess I'd just have to face the facts eventually.

"Bella," I told her innocently, "I wasn't making fun of you, or mocking you, or anything else. I promise. I wouldn't do that to you," I assured her sincerely. She seemed to accept it, and her glare turned into more of a stare. I stared back until I realized she wanted me to continue. "I'm just trying to figure you out, okay?" I told her, giving up all the dignity I had left. What kind of sick power did this girl have over me? It was beyond weird by now.

Her stare then turned into a heartbreaking expression. Hell, it made _my_ heart hurt. Why was she so damn sad? She stared sadly at me for a long while and finally turned back to her book.

"Don't." I heard her say quietly without breaking her gaze from the book. I wasn't going to just listen to her though. I'd figure her out, and of that I was certain. Well, I'd try at least. No, I wouldn't _just_ figure her out, I'd help her. Help her in whatever way she needed it, and as much as she might deny it, she most definitely needed it. Needed something, at least.

The rest of the class went by rather quickly- I had worked on some of yesterday's homework, trying my best not to keep stealing glances at Bella the whole time. I couldn't help but notice how content she looked when she was reading. Like she was in her place. I made a mental note that Bella really must enjoy books.

The bell eventually rang, and I slowly stood up and gathered my things together. I watched as Bella hurried to make sure she was the first one out of the room, and debated whether or not to run after her and walk with her. I figured I'd talked to her enough to her liking for one day, and that I'd just keep my mouth shut until lunch came. _Then_ I'd sit next to her, and talk to her like she was a normal human being, because that's exactly what she was. So why did everyone here treat her like she wasn't?

Lunch finally rolled around, and not a minute too late. Well, actually really late. I sat through all of English staring at the clock. Don't get me wrong, as interesting as listening to the stories about the Montague's and Capulet's hacking each other up, I couldn't concentrate on anything else except for a way to prove to Bella that I was in fact, a trustworthy person, and that I could be her friend. I needed her to trust me, if I were to help her in any way. And I wanted to help her, god did I want to- more than anything. I wanted to take away all the bitterness she held for the world, and to see her smile a real smile, and not one that was forced. I wanted to figure out what made her bitter like that too. That's what I wanted, and being as suborn as I was, I wouldn't stop until I got what I wanted. Until I saw that smile.

I grabbed a few different food items and set them on my tray, paid for my food, then headed for the table my siblings sat at yesterday with Bella. I spotted her from across the room and quickly made my way over. I noticed that I'd beaten the rest of my siblings to the table, and spotted them all towards the back of the lunch line. They were keeping to themselves and only talking to each other. They really didn't need anyone else, they _had_ each other. This was great, it'd give me some time with Bella alone, because I knew once Alice sat down, there was no way I was getting her back.

"Hey Bells," I said cheerfully as I sat down next to her. I think I surprised both her and myself by calling her that. I didn't think it was that weird or anything. I mean, I think it was safe to say we were semi-friends. I _hoped, _at least. It was also kind of cute. Yeah, it definitely had a cute ring to it. _Bells_.

She did look a little surprised, but looked up from her food and smiled at me. "Hi." She said quietly, meeting my gaze. Her face turned a brilliant crimson color and she quickly looked back down at her food. _I made her uncomfortable. _Well, I'd have to put that second on my list: 1. Get Bella to trust me. 2. Don't make her uncomfortable...or mad. It seemed like a short list, but I knew it'd be next to impossible to achieve. I wasn't backing down though. Bella needed me, she needed someone to talk to, and I was positive of that. I was positive that I would be that someone.

There was a long pause of silence until it got unbearable and I had to break it. "How's your day been so far?"

She laughed humorously and gave me a look meaning: _Are you serious?_ Wow, her day must've been shittier than mine. "You can tell me about it if you want." I hedged cautiously, not wanting to set her off like I had in Science. I was giving her a choice, a choice that she could simply refuse if she wished. I really hoped she didn't though.

"Thanks, but no thanks." She told me curtly. "The past is the past, and there's no need to bring up incidents that may have happened today. They don't matter anyways." She glared down at her food angrily.

It sure sounded to me like they _did _matter. This didn't sound good either. I wished I knew what the hell she was talking about, but I didn't. Sometimes, well, most of the time, she didn't make a lot of sense. What _was _crystal clear though, was her pain. The obvious pain she always tried to hide.

"I think it matters," I told her quietly, looking down at my food. The thing was, this wasn't a lie. I really _did _care. More than she knew.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "Your girlfriend told me to back the hell off, and to stay away from you. She told me no one like me could ever be good enough for someone like you. She told me I was a useless piece of trash, and a waste of space on this earth. She told me I'd never be pretty, and that I'd never be loved by anyone, and that no guys would ever like me, and she also told me a lot of other things I'd rather not repeat, okay?" At this point I could sense the angry tears she was fighting back so hard, as her voice cracked at the last part. Bella didn't like to show weakness to anyone, so she was pushing them back with everything she had. She wasn't succeeding though. A single tear was enough to break me. It slowly rolled down her cheek as I watched it. I wanted so bad nothing more than to reach out to her and comfort her, but I couldn't. "Do you want me to keep going? There was more." I heard her voice crack once again and more tears started rolling down her face. This time, she couldn't stop them.

I sat there in awe. Shocked and appalled by what she just told me. First of all, what girlfriend? I had no fucking girlfriend. Second of all, who the hell had the nerve to tell her any of this? And why on earth did I have the sudden urge to beat them to the ground and shove my foot up there ass?

"What girlfriend?" My voice was lifeless, almost robotic. It probably sounded about equivalent to how someone who just got the wind knocked out of them would. Hell, it _felt_ like I just got the wind knocked out of me. Or worse, maybe.

"That one," She whispered, and nodded towards the girl now standing at my left, and finally broke down. More tears ran down her face as she ran out of the cafeteria. I was about to run after her when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a red-head smiling angelically at me.

I recognized her, she was in one of my classes. Victoria, was it?

"People like her don't belong in our world, Edward." She snickered, rubbing her hands up my chest. This was the skank Bella must've been referring to my girlfriend as. I shoved her hands away from me. I sure didn't want her touching me, and the attempts she made to try and be sexy with me were instant fails. I also recognized her as one of the girls who'd written me a love note on my first day. I probably would have been more angry, and went off on her, but there were more important things I needed to do. Bella needed me.

"Get the hell away from me, Victoria," I spat at her. I didn't even bother looking twice at Victoria's expression as I turned to run out the lunchroom doors, following the same path Bella had. I pushed through the doors leading out of the school and onto the grounds as I frantically stood there, searching for Bella. I had no idea where she'd ran off to.

I looked around, and after a moment of desperate searching, spotted her about 200 yards away, sitting down with her head in her hands, leaning against the back wall of what I assumed to be the track shed. I sprinted my lungs out to get to her, and was huffing by the time I did. In the very, _very_ back of my mind, I noted that I'd need to start working out again soon.

Her face was still hidden in her hands, and I could hear that she was still crying. Louder this time. At the back of my mind again, I also couldn't help but note how damn cute her crying was- how normally girls just wailed at the top of there lungs at a painful frequency to us men, and how Bella's was soft and quiet and almost dazing, but that was a seriously fucked up thing to think about right now so I shook it off.

She must've somehow sensed my presence, so she looked up at me. She looked up at me with a tear-stained face, and the absolute most heartbreakingly painful expression I'd ever seen in my life- it was really the saddest thing. My legs started wobbling, and I was afraid I'd collapse. Because I too was torn, torn by the girl now sobbing in front of me. She continued to stare at me like that, as tears slowly kept falling down the her face.

I stood there for a long moment, when I finally decided to hesitantly sit next to Bella. We sat there for a while, not saying anything to each other. I just listened to her crying silently next to me. God, I had to do something. I couldn't just sit there like the helpless moron I was anymore.

Then, she did something I wasn't expecting. She moved her head and gently laid it on my shoulder. I sat there, frozen, unsure of what to do next. Her head found the perfect place on my shoulder, and she sighed.

"I can't do this anymore," I heard her pained whisper, and somehow knew she wasn't just referring to Victoria and her friends. What I did next surprised myself even more. Slipping my arm around her tiny body, I pulled her closer. She nuzzled her face into my jacket and started to take deep breaths, trying to calm and get a hold of herself. She sniffed a few more times, and I hugged her even closer. I could feel the warmth of her body against me as she continued to cry silently.

In that instant, I decided that for the rest of her life, I'd be Bella's guardian angel. I'd be her crying shoulder, and everything in this world she didn't have. At first, I couldn't think of a reason for my actions, but I realized it was because I knew she needed this. She needed _someone_. And oddly enough, I might have even needed her as well.

We never did go to lunch. Or to our next class.

I kept my arms around Bella until I was sure she had it together.

"Thanks Edward," She told me quietly, blushing and sitting up next to me. I unhooked my arm from her waste and stayed sitting. She rubbed her face with her sweatshirt sleeve, and was about to stand up when I stopped her, "Let's just, not go to class. Okay?" She looked at me questioningly. "You've had a shitty day and deserve a break." I told her, matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes at her reaction to my language, but she gladly agreed with me and sat right back down next to me.

"So. . ." she started, pulling at some grass from the ground, repeating her motions.

"We can talk?" I questioned, giving her a choice. I really did want to get to know her better. Thinking about it, I realized I hadn't really discovered anything about her, and had just always been looking to find something. I took this as my opportunity to learn as much information as I could.

She smiled a little. "About what?"

"Anything," I laughed, suddenly enthusiastic, unsure of where my good mood came from. I was just about falling apart less than a half hour ago. I went with it though, and let out a loud carefree laugh.

She looked really confused, and must've been wondering wear that came from as well, but let out a quiet little laugh of her own. Yeah, it wasn't a real laugh, but it was sure as hell a start. I'd get Bella to laugh. Just like I'd get her to smile and trust me too. Wow, there were now three goals, no, _requirements_ on my list. I considered them that because they would be my top priorities until they happened. I would make sure of it. They _had_ to happen.

"Okay," she told me. She crossed her legs and her arms and leaned her head against the back of the shed and let her fragile little eye lids flutter closed.

"Hey," I scolded. "I said _talk_, not _sleep_." I poked her side. That got her. _She giggled_. The sound was like the most beautiful bells from the most beautiful wind chimes. I poked her again, twice this time. She giggled again, swatting my hand away. I instantly memorized the way her little laughs sounded so I could replay them in my head later. I was just a god-damn creeper, and I knew it.

"Yeah, well you said _talk_ not _tickle_." She shot right back at me, still giggling a little while trying to glare at me.

"You have a cute laugh," I told her, smiling. Shit, did I really just say that out loud? I really couldn't help it though, she did have a hell of a cute laugh. I decided that from this point on, being honest with her couldn't hurt.

She stopped giggling and smiled instead. It was still a little smile, and still some-what broken, but at least it _was_ a smile. I smiled back, more intensely, getting another look into the dark brown pools of chocolate in her eyes. The kind of warm chocolate that melted my soul. Sometimes, it was like I could even see into her soul. She stared back, gazing into mine. Her eyes suddenly got really wide though, and she quickly looked away, blushing. I wanted more than nothing in that moment than to be able to read her mind. Her hands went back to fiddling with the grass as she cautiously looked up at me through her long lashes this time.

"What do you wanna talk about?" She asked again. What _did_ I want to talk about?

"Um," I started lamely. "How about 20 questions?" It _was_ lame, but if it would help me get to know her, hell, I was up for anything at this point.

She laughed and grimaced at the same time. "Sounds like something they'd do in a prison trial," She'd seriously never heard of the game 20 questions? Well, not so much as game, but a way to get to know a person better. Which is exactly what I was going to do.

"Yeah," I told her, "I can go first, and I'll ask you questions, 20 in total, that you have to answer. They'll just be about things you like and don't like, and other stuff like that."

She nodded hesitantly. I could tell she didn't like the idea of being put on the spot much. It was certainly something we had in common, but I wasn't nervous because it was just me and her. Bella and I.

I waited until she finally looked up and met my gaze again. "Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust me, I promise." This time, she nodded again, only with a little more confidence.

I was careful not to get too deep with the questions that I asked. They were always harmless little, "What's your favorite color?", or "Do you play any sports?" kind of questions. If I did by accident, touch to much into her personal life, I'd be able to tell by the way she would automatically cringe back a little, and the slight look of pain that came from her eyes. I'd figure what that was about eventually I kept telling myself, but for now I'd only get to know her. Simple as that.

By the end of my 20, I had learned so much about her that it almost overwhelmed me. She loved to be outside when it was raining, she had never owned a pet, but had always really wanted a dog, she had only gone out with one boy (I couldn't help but note how when I asked her about him her eyes seemed to hold some sort of venom and hate. She had also refused to tell me anything more on that subject. I was guessing she had a bad experience. I really wanted to know who it was though, and more about it.), her favorite thing to do was watch the stars at night, and various other things. I knew I had made her uncomfortable with some of my questions a few times, but she never said out loud that it had bothered her, so I figured it was just some weird sensitive shit, but then I thought about it again, and realized that it probably wasn't. I mean, all girls were so insecure about how they looked, and how they acted- Bella really wasn't though. A little, but not as much as you'd think a normal girl was. She wasn't a normal girl. And for some reason, this not-normal girl had herself in almost every thought I'd had since moving here. I didn't look at it in a creepy romantic way though, I thought of it more as an obligation. I had told myself millions of times over and over- Bella needed my help. I had never been so sure of anything in my life.

"My turn?" She asked questioningly. I nodded.

"How many girls have you dated?" She started out, smirking. Oh, she was going to be like _that_. Sure, she got off the hook because I asked her the most simplest questions that a five year-old could have answered. I grimaced at her and counted in my head. Damn, there were a lot of them. I felt so disgusted with myself, looking back at my dating history. That's why I was beginning on a new start at this school, this town- I'd really take into consideration each time I decided I liked a girl. Like, was it her personality. . .or just the breasts? I wasn't gonna be like that anymore though. I'd be better than that.

I made a face at her. "I'm not sure," Not meeting her obvious questioning gaze.

When I looked up, she didn't look surprised, and her tone remained indifferent. "That many?" I frowned and shrugged. She went on, seeming a little bothered or annoyed, though I couldn't imagine why. God, she must've thought I was a total asshole. _I _would have. In fact, I _was_ a total asshole, so I definitely wouldn't blame her for thinking it. I almost asked her right then and there if she was, but thought better of it.

Thank god, the rest of the questions she asked were way simpler. They were sort of boring, I had to admit, but they were way better than going back and touching subjects with the first one.

She had only gotten to the 11th question, when we heard the end of the day bell ring from the school. I had completely forgotten it was still going on, or maybe just the time in general, and looked at Bella who had the hint of a smirk playing on her face.

"We really just skipped the whole day, didn't we?" I chuckled, running my hand through my hair as I stood up and stretched.

She laughed and then sighed. "I've never skipped. I bet Charlie won't be too happy. . ." Something about the way she said that sounded very suggestive. Like it was suppose to mean more than it sounded like. Maybe I was just beginning to be way to superstitious, but it just sounded off to me. I studied her, and she did this little thing where she crossed one of her arms, and held the other to her body. I stared at the way her arms were and looked up at her face. Her eyes were staring into mine, and looked a little annoyed.

"Hey, I still have my nine questions." She told me, as we started making our way back to the school. I didn't know why, but I had this strange urge to reach out and take her hand in mine. I didn't though, but I could have swore my fingers twitched to hers a couple of times.

"Well," I thought. I guess that it _was_ fair that she got all of her questions in too, so it'd only be reasonable to finish where we left off. "If you wanted, I could drive you home and you could ask me them on the way?" This had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to spend more time with this girl.

"Um. . ." She started hesitantly. "I'm not sure." She sounded a little worried for some reason.

"Alice can drive your truck home. I'll bet she'd love that." I assured her casually, not wanting to sound desperate. I had to think about it for a moment. _Was _I desperate?

She still looked worried and unsure, so I did it. I held out my hand for her to take it. I was half expecting her to just leave it suspended out in mid-air, but she took it. She seemed to take it with no hesitation, so in that instant, it felt like she trusted me, and that was all I could have ever asked for. She weaved her warm tiny fingers through mine, and nodded. It didn't escape my notice that the way her fingers fit into mine were a perfect fit.

"Come on," I smiled, tugging her to the parking lot.

I guess I wasn't surprised by how everyone we walked by, stopped and stared. I mean, taking notes on the way they treated Bella daily around here, it must've come as a complete shock to them. It shouldn't have though- It's not like we were dating or anything.

I also wasn't surprised when I spotted my very annoyed looking family standing by the Volvo as they came into clear view. I hadn't really factored them into my brilliant plan, so was a little nervous when we walked up to them about what I was going to do. Bella looked down at her feet, shyly, releasing my hand. I wanted to grab it again, but thought twice about it. It would definitely give my siblings the wrong idea, and I definitely didn't need any of their shit today. I was in a great mood, and didn't want it to be spoiled. God, I sounded like such a fucking baby.

I met the face of a very smug looking Alice, and turned to see the rest with matching expressions. What the hell? What they were thinking obviously couldn't have been good, so I glared at them. Plus, they were making Bella uncomfortable as hell. I guess it was already too late to stop them from getting the wrong idea, so I knew I'd have to deal with setting it straight once we all got home.

"I'm driving Bella home." I stated. I made sure to keep my voice sounding semi-detached.

Alice raised her eyebrows and her face broke into a wide, dazzling grin. I was pretty surprised that the little pixie didn't just break out into a touchdown dance right then and there.

"Alice," I asked her warily. "Do you think you could drive Bella's truck back to her house?"

Her eyes got impossibly wider and she nodded. "Of course!" Wonderful. Now what was I going to do with the rest of my family? Alice, being herself, sensed my distress and saved me. It was a little scary, like she _could_ read my mind.

"You guys," she pointed at Em, Jazz, and Rose, "you can ride in Bella's truck with me." Bella started to protest but Alice smiled sweetly and assuringly at her. "We'll squeeze."

I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Let's go." She quickly went around to the other side of the car and climbed in the passenger's side. I should've opened the door for her. It would've at least made her see that I wasn't a total ass and that I _could_ be a gentleman if I wanted. I mean, girls loved that kind of polite shit, right? I started wondering what my intentions really were. I had been all set on saving Bella from whatever it was she needed to be saved from, and all of a sudden I was worried about what she thought of me, and worried about not being polite enough. _You are a screw up, that's for sure Edward._ The tiny voice in the back of my mind was saying. Maybe I was.

"Wooo! Joy ride!" I heard Emmett holler. I rolled my eyes and hoped they wouldn't break Bella's truck. It was so old and worn down, I was honestly worried. "No Em, _I'm_ driving." I heard Alice sigh annoyed. Good, _anyone_ but Emmett.

"Aw, there's no room!" I heard him complain. Such a fucking whiner. He crossed his arms, frustrated, and sighed.

"Come on Em," I heard Jazz call from inside the car. "You can sit on my lap." He gladly agreed and dove into the truck, only to be pushed out five seconds later. "Dude, what the hell? I was kidding!" Jasper yelled from inside the car. I could hear Rosalie and Alice laughing and whistling from the front seat. I trusted that they'd get home _eventually_, and decided I'd kept Bella waiting long enough.

"Sorry," I told her, getting in and buckling my seat belt.

She grinned. "No, your family's quite entertaining." She sounded amused.

I drove out of the parking lot and we rode in silence for a while. It wasn't awkward or anything, that definitely wasn't it. It was just how natural this all somehow felt- to have her presence with me, it was really calming.

"You know," I reminded her, breaking the silence finally, "you still have your nine questions."

"Oh right," I could tell that her mind was off somewhere else before that. I hoped it was somewhere good. "Um, what's your favorite color?" She asked lamely.

I snorted. "Brown." I had been bracing myself for way worse. "Come on, you can do better than that." I teased. "Eight left."

"What's one thing you want to accomplish before your life's over." She was all of a sudden serious. Okay, I'd been bracing myself for bad, but how the hell was I suppose to answer that question? I mean, I knew what I wanted, but I was _definitely_ not going to tell her that. Also, no one had ever asked me a question like that before, so I was a little surprised.

I could feel her eyes on me as she waited for an answer. I still hadn't come up with anything spectacular. I could've just told her what I really wanted, if I wanted her to run screaming from me, and most likely put up a restraining order. It's usually not your average conversation you have with someone after knowing them for only two days- _'So, I actually really want to figure out everything I absolutely can about you, and I really want to make you smile a real smile that's not broken, and to make you laugh a real laugh that's not bitter. I want to save you from whatever it is that's killing you on the inside, and to protect you from any harm that shall ever come to you.' _Yeah, that was definitely not something I'd be telling her. At least, not anytime soon.

"Uh, I want to go to college?" I said it more like a question, and could tell that she was a little displeased with my answer. She was probably hoping for me to say something more extravagant. Bella let it go though, and seemed to be in thought again of what her next question would be.

"Where do you want to go to college?" She asked curiously. Once again, I'd never really thought much about that kind of stuff, because I'd always figured that Carlilse would get me into the right places. I mean, he for sure knew the right people.

"Er, I'm not sure," I told her, staring ahead at the road. This wasn't going as well as I'd planned. I knew I was probably boring her to sleep by the minute. I frowned while continuing to stare at the road and not her. It was most likely another ten minutes before we reached her house. I still hadn't asked where it was.

"Oh okay," she said quietly, and went back to staring out the window. She didn't say anything for a while, and just kept staring at the cars and trees as we passed them.

"Seven left," I reminded her.

"Oh right," she responded. Bella was really unfocused today, it seemed like. I wondered if there was anything majorly wrong. Or that there was anything I should ask her about.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked nervously, keeping my eyes on the road. She leaned her head against the back of the headrest and stared up at the ceiling of the car. "No," she sighed. "But don't worry, it's only a headache. I've had it all day, and I get headaches like this all the time." She sounded really angry when she said this. Angry _and_ sad at the same time. Not at me though, it's like she was always blaming someone for what was wrong, because it sure didn't sound like _just _a headache that was bugging her. It was always more with Bella then she would let people see.

"Oh, really?" I asked. I could have asked her how she got it. I _should_ have, but I really didn't want to come across to her as annoying. She probably already thought I was prying too much, so I kept my mouth shut.

She nodded. "Yeah. Hey, take a left here." She pointed at the street, right before we passed it. We were getting really close to my house- it was only a block or two away, maybe less. Did Bella really live that close?

"Alright, turn left at the white house with the blue shingles." She pointed out. This was her house? It was so close, I could basically see my backyard from here. Wait a minute, I _could_ see my backyard from here.

"You live here?" I asked surprised.

She rolled her eyes. "No, I just like being dropped off at random stranger's houses." The sarcasm in her voice was heavy.

I chuckled. "No, I was trying to say that I live right back there behind those trees." I pointed at the thin strip of woods in the back of her house that you could barely see from where we were at the moment.

She was about to open the door when she paused. "Wait, _you guys_ moved into the old Johnson mansion?" She asked, seeming a little stunned.

"I didn't know our house had a name, but yeah." I met her eyes and smiled. "We're neighbors," I whispered happily, holding her gaze. I don't know why I did it- maybe it was because of how the way the lighting in the sky made her face light up just right, or because I needed to reach out and feel to see if her face was really as soft as it looked. Either way, I reached out and lightly stroked it across, right below Bella's cheekbone. I did it once on her left side, and once on her right. Her eyes fluttered close for just a moment when I did, and opened up widely once I removed my hand.

"Thank you Edward," She said shyly, blushing as she got out of the car quickly. I knew she wasn't just thanking me for the ride home. I noted that her truck was parked in the driveway, with four eagerly bobbing heads that were visible from the back windshield. _They could have walked_, I sighed in my head. I watched as Bella opened up the front door and made it safely inside, feeling that so far I was doing an okay job as her protector, then watched my siblings come pooring out, one by one, out of the old Chevy.

They all piled into the Volvo, and I knew that they all noticed the unbreakable smile now spread across my face. I didn't care though, because as I pulled out of the driveway, I held on to the only important thought that mattered to me right then. _Bella trusted me._

**Awww, I loved writing this chapter...well, I love Edward in general, but I thought that this especially was just really bittersweet. I hoped you all thought it did justice, and that I didn't disappoint!  
I just want to warn you guys in advance that the ExB relationship is NOT going to be rushed. I'm trying to make it as real as possible, okay? So try and bear with me.**

**Also, I wanted to let you know that I'll be answering everyone's questions.  
Just review or PM me, but just letting you know right now that I will ****not**** answer questions like "What's going to happen in the next chapter?" or "How's this story going to end?" Sorry guys, I just don't wanna spoil you!**

**Also, I've made a website for my fic. (Yes, I'm an incredible looser. I know.)  
It doesn't have much on it at the moment, but will eventually.  
You can check it out if you'd like, if anyone cares-  
www(dot)simplydazzling(dot)webs(dot)com**  
**^Just change the (dot)'s to actual dots, and there you have it! xD**

**Fewwwww! This was a really long A/N.  
I do like to ramble, don't I?**

**_Reviews are better than a joy ride with Emmett(:_**


	4. Vulnerable: Secondhand Serenade

**Since Ch. 5 might be a tad bit late, I decided I'd make it up to you guys by posting Ch. 4 a couple days early.**

**The song for this chapter is:  
_Vulnerable_ – _Secondhand Serenade_  
The reasoning behind this choice is because of how Bella normally feels, and I think you'll really be able to see more of that in this chapter.  
If you listen to the words of the song, it talks about the girl and guy kind of for their first time, but that's most certainly not what I mean. It's just the overall feeling of the song that inspired me.**

**Once again, shout-out to all my reviewers!  
You guys are incredible, and make writing fun for me.  
As always, RATE&REVIEW.  
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**BPOV**

What the hell just happened?

First off, I totally and completely lost it in front of the whole cafeteria and ran out in tears, all with Edward watching. Then, he just _had_ to come and find me, and somehow take all the pain away.

I didn't hesitate when I climbed into his arms and let him hold me when he offered it. It felt like he was keeping me together, like he was doing something no one had ever done to me. _Cared about me. _By then, I didn't care how much I cried, because Edward's arms were around me, and nobody could touch me then. Charlie couldn't touch me, or James, or anyone. He was my saving grace.

It was like all the walls I'd built and kept up for so long, were beginning to tumble down. Well, more like being forcefully bulldozed down by Edward. It was silly though, to think that he even cared about me. Why would he? He could have any possible girl at the school, or state for that matter, at his heels in a second. So why would he want to spend time comforting me? Talking to me, making me feel better in a way only he could.

It was like there was this certain aura or feeling that radiated off him whenever he was around me. A feeling that made me feel like I was safe, like I was cared for. It was ridiculous, and I knew it. He wouldn't want to be around a girl like me, and was probably only taking pity. It was something at least, I'd rather have pity then hate. At least for now, if felt like I had _someone_ who cared. I realized sadly though, that it wouldn't last long.

And then in the car, I almost let the secret slip when he asked about my headache. I so just wanted to be done with it, and tell him right then and there, but I knew I couldn't. So I didn't. It would have been so easy for me to do it too. I wanted to so bad though, and this sudden urge took me off guard. I had never once thought about even possibly telling anyone about Charlie. Edward always seemed so interested in with what everything I said also, even though I knew what I said was boring. _He_ was the interesting one. . .The beautiful one. . .The one who could completely make all of someone's pain throughout their whole body go away, just because he had touched their face. There was something more behind the gesture though. It was like he was trying to send me a message with it. A message that I would never get, because I was clearly too stupid.

I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't get close to Edward. If I did, I'd only get crushed in the end. That's how it worked. That's how it always worked. I'd start trying, and keep my distance from him from now on. It was clear that feelings were already developing for him, which was a bad thing. Edward deserved someone better, someone who wouldn't waste his time because she was a coward. I was a coward, and Edward needed better than me. Someone with a better reputation at school, who could be proud of who she was, and make him proud. . .

_"You stupid little slut," Victoria hissed as I backed up against the locker. "You thought you could get with my boyfriend?" She said, disgusted. I could hear the snickers from her friends behind her._

_I never wanted to get with James. I never even really liked James, so why did going out with him seem like such a good idea? I knew why. I was trying to prove a point. Prove to everyone that I wasn't just the geeky-nerd girl who only read books at the lunch table. I should've known that everything would turn against me in the end. Didn't it always?_

_"I don't know what you're talking about Vick," I said honestly. And I was honest. I seriously didn't know why she was all of a sudden bitching off at me. We were best friends. I knew she was head over heels for James, that was obvious to the whole school- James only went out with her for the popularity though, and because I wouldn't. He liked me, I knew that, but it wasn't in a way that made you feel all fuzzy inside from knowing someone loved you. It was in a way that made you terrified to be alone with the person. He would always start touching me in places that I wasn't ready for, and I had no strength or force to stop him. He was the quarter back of the football team- my a hundred and ten pound body obviously hadn't been hard for him to hold down._

_"Hell, you know what I'm talking about!" She screeched, shoving me against the locker. "Inf fact, you don't just know. . .You did it!" Everyone walking to their class was now stopped dead in their tracks, watching. She slammed me again._

_"I didn't do anything!" I shouted back. The authority in my voice was pathetically weak. "It was James." I whispered the last part._

_"It was not my loyal and trusting boyfriend! How dare you say that," She yelled. "James loves me, and not you. So why were you in a closet with him during lunch while I waited at our table and saved you a spot? A spot I now see you clearly don't deserve."_

_"It was James." I repeated again, a little more confident with my answer._

_About an hour ago, James had snuck-up behind me and pulled my wrist along with him forcefully until we reached the unoccupied janitor's broom closet. I knew it couldn't have been good, whatever his intentions were, so I struggled to get away from him. He didn't let me go though, and I was frightened. "Don't worry," he had whispered into my ear, attempting to be seductive. His attempt failed though, miserably. And I was worried._

_"Let me go," I had grimaced at the hand that was still locked around my wrist. I reached for the doorknob when he snatched up my other hand and held it to his crotch. I had gagged, and remember getting really dizzy. "Come on, Bella," he hissed into my ear. "You have to work it." Then, he had suddenly released the hand on my wrist, and brought it up to squeeze my breast. It hurt, a lot. It wasn't just a normal grope that guys usually gave girls, it was like he was taking a ball of play dough and crushing it into his hands until it was completely flat and crushed. That's what it felt like. I had cried out quietly in pain, and not for the right reason. But he took my cries the wrong way, and brought his other hand up to do the same. The pain from my chest was unbearable, and it was tearing me up from the inside out. It was sick, gross, and disgusting what he was doing. And painful. Really painful. I knew I'd no doubt be getting bruises. I remember after that, the doorknob turning, and James instantly releasing his hands. I had sighed in relief after he did. But then, there was Victoria's shocked, angry, appalled, and disbeliefed face, standing there in the doorway, staring. "Get the hell a way from me!" James had shouted at me, of course. Victoria had just stood there, glaring. "Let's go baby," he had wrapped an arm around her waist, and walked out of the room, turning back to wink at me, and had left, leaving me hurt, confused, and feeling vulnerable. An all to familiar feeling._

_So that's what had happened, and now that's why Vicky had me slammed against a locker._

_"Vicky, please," I pleaded silently, as she dug her nails into my shoulders, grinding me back harder. "Vick, we're best friends." I whispered, pained, and stared into her cold eyes._

_"Were." She stated as if it were obvious. "Were best friends, Bella." She sneered. "I don't think anyone will want to be friends with you after this. After what you've done- what you've been hiding." She turned to see the rest of the senior class nod in agreement with her. "That's really low," and "Wow," was what most of them were muttering under their breaths._

_"It was James." I repeated, one last time, afraid I was really about to loose my one best friend, my only best friend. Vicky was all I really had, and now, everything would change. Without her, I had no one. She never she was like my true, trustworthy friend, but she was someone at least. And now she'd be gone._

_Victoria just shook her head and continued to glare at me. It was ice cold, and her eyes were sharp like razors. I stared back into them, and tears started welling up in my eyes. Damn tears. Crying made me seem week, but by this point, I didn't care. What did I honestly have to loose now?_

_"Pathetic." Her and the others had murmured as she walked away. "Don't trust a hoe!" She sneered bitterly, and laughed- no, cackled, down the hall way in a rather loud, obnoxious manner. Followed by her loyal skanks, Jess and Lauren, who I'd never really been fans of._

_And with that, I ran out of the school doors, looking for an escape; One that I'd never find. . ._

This memory was like the one I carried of my mother's last moments. It was like it, because I couldn't get rid of it. It wasn't as bad in someways, but worst in others. It was also one of those memories that stayed with you forever. I still remember that day, three years ago, and I still wished that it was all just horrible nightmare. But it wasn't. It was reality. And that's why Edward shouldn't ruin his clearly popular reputation by sticking around me.

I'd still maybe talk to Alice though. . .And Rose. They hadn't seemed to hate me yet, so I hesitantly decided that I would push my luck a little longer. The Cullen's were wonderful people. I didn't deserve wonderful, _that_ I had learned a long time ago.

I lay in my bed, and closed my eyes, realizing how tired I really was. I decided it couldn't have hurt to try and catch up on the sleep I had lost last night by taking a short nap. I to take precautions and make sure I was awake before Charlie was home though. He would not like it very much if he found me sleeping, when I should be working. I reached over and set my alarm an hour ahead. It was better than nothing.

I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleeping. . .

Dreaming the green eyes of an angel. . .

_Beep! Beep! Beep! . . ._

I groaned and reached for the alarm and slammed the button down. I was groggy from my nap as I sat up and stretched. Damn, my body was _sore_. I didn't know how much more it could take before it'd finally burst.

I sat up, feeling so weak, and stretched my arms above my head. _Ouch_. That wasn't a smart movement. I did my best to ignore the pain though, and headed for the kitchen. If I didn't have dinner ready by the time Charlie was home, there'd be some serious hell to pay. I quickly opened a bag of frozen vegetable and heated the stove. Then, I did some preppings for the lasagna I was about to make. It was Charlie's favorite meal, so if luck was on my side tonight, he wouldn't do anything.

I tapped my foot impatiently when I had it all ready in a pan to put in the oven. It was taking forever to preheat, and I was starting to get more and more worried about the time. It was already getting closer and closer to his arrival, and I hadn't even begin cooking the lasagna. I stubbornly kicked the oven door, hoping it would listen, then huffed and leaned against the counter top.

Fifteen minutes later, the lasagna was in the oven and had about another twenty minutes left to it, Charlie shoves through the door, not even bothering to take off the boots he wore, full of mud and residue, and comes stomping into the kitchen. Luck was most definitely _not_ on my side tonight. That was for sure.

"Where's the food?" He hissed, plopping down at his spot at the table.

My body was shaking. I didn't how I was going to tell him that his meal wasn't going to be ready for another twenty minutes. I also didn't know how he would take it. Most likely bad, I was guessing.

I gulped. "I made lasagna. Your favorite." My voice was quiet, and weak, and I didn't know if or how I could disguise my fear. If I was afraid, he'd enjoy beating me even more so than if I just stood there and took it. Which is what I normally did, except for tonight, when I was oddly more afraid than I would have usually been. It might've been the fact that something about him seemed off.

"That's great," He said harshly, chewing on his fork boredly. "Now, where is it?"

I tried to stop my obvious shaking before he noticed it. "It's not ready." I said quietly, probably to quiet for him to hear.

"What was that?" He questioned, looking up at me. I avoided his angry and curious gaze and looked down at my feet. "What was the, Bella?" He repeated. Louder, more upset.

"I said," I told him hesitantly, raising my voice just a slight bit. It was shaking. "It's not ready."

He turned the corner of his face up into a twisted grin. "Not ready, you say?" He purred, frighteningly. "Not ready?" He repeated louder, with more force, suddenly startling me by raising his voice.

Before I saw it coming, he sprang up from his chair and was running straight towards me. I panicked, and dodged out of the way, making a huge mistake by letting Charlie fall flat on his face by missing me.

"Oh no," I mumbled, scrambling to help him up. He shoved my hands away, and by the time he was back standing, his face was flaming with fury. A face that had me cowering away, a face that the phrase _"if looks could kill"_ would apply nicely for.

"Dad, . . I'm s-sorry." I stuttered, slowly backing away from him- A reflex reaction.

He matched my pace, slowly making his way towards me, dragging his heavy feet across the wood floor. I soon ran out of space to back-up any further, as I watched him get closer to me by the second. My eyes stayed pinned to the floor, too afraid to look up and face the enemy. I could feel him, his body pressed up inches from mine. He just stood there though, not moving. I waited for what seemed like about another five minutes, never looking him in the eyes, just waiting for it to happen already. I didn't know what _he_ was waiting for, or what he was planning, but I personally just wanted to get it over with.

Then it clicked. He wanted me to look at him, _while he was hurting me_. And here I was, thinking the man couldn't get any more cruel. Well, apparently I was sadly mistaken. I knew Charlie would stand here like this all night until I looked up at him, so wanting to get it over with, I did.

I slowly brought my eyes up to his, and when they finally met, his lips twisted into another one of his frightening sneers. It was terrifying, like always.

"There we go," I heard him whisper.

He then shoved me with full force against the wall. I did my best to hold in the cry of pain, but was unsuccessful when the it escaped my lips. He liked that. After he laughed for a good while, he took me with both hands on my waist, and backed us both up from the wall. My vision was all fuzzy from the force he had put behind his shove before, so I could barely take note as to what he was about to do next. Hands still gripping my waist, he all of a sudden threw me down on the hard floor so that my back and the rest of my body lay there limply. I figured he'd gotten his satisfaction for the night when he started to walk away, but I was wrong.

He turned around and before I saw it coming, his body slammed on top of mine. All 234 lbs. I screamed out in pain, and not just once, but several times. How could I not? The man just freaking body slammed me. He was cackling at my yells when they started to get louder. His face turned from joy to panic-struck as he lasped his hand over my mouth.

"Shut the hell up!" He hollered a whisper. "Do you want the god-damn neighbors to hear you?"

Yes. I answered in my head. Then maybe the neighbors could hear me. _Maybe Edward could hear me,_ I suddenly thought. He did only live not even two houses behind us. I think I was finally ready to escape this life, this pain, so I started yelling even louder, pushing Charlie's hand away from my mouth. For him to hear. For _anyone_ to hear.

Charlie got up off of me and went to get something. I couldn't hear what it was over my screams that were now starting to crack with the weakness of my voice. I couldn't see either, due to the lack of coherence both my vision _and_ brain were holding for me right now. I was still lying on my back in the middle of the kitchen floor when Charlie's feet came back into my vision.

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" He hollered, fading out my feeble attempts for rescue screams. "I mean it." He warned, pulling the hand behind his back suddenly into view, relieving a kitchen knife. Oh god, the cuts were always the worse. I'd have rather taken another hundred body slams than have him cut me with that thing. The first time he had pulled out a knife a year or two ago, I was sure he was going to kill me. After the third or fourth time, I had come to realize that was never his intention. I couldn't really say I was completely glad with his _current_ intentions either though.

"No, dad, please," I stopped yelling and whispered to him. Looking up at his face, tears beginning to form in my eyes. "Please dad, please," I repeated, "not the knife, please." I hated begging to him like this, making myself so vulnerable, but if it worked, I knew I wouldn't regret it in the long run.

Unfortunately, it didn't. He took the knife, brought it to the side of my arm, my good arm, and cut it. It was a long gash about the size of a golf tee, and I gasped and cried out once again at the pain. It wasn't that deep, but it still hurt like hell. Blood instantly started pouring out from the wound, and I found myself clutching my arm, sitting up straight, and now sobbing in front of my father. He smiled a very satisfying smile, and went to turn off the oven that had gone off five minutes ago- making known that my lasagna was now finished. Well, burned by now.

I continued to hug my arm to my stomach with blood all over my clothing by now. I couldn't let up my sobs either, they just kept coming. Crying was never good, never did anything good. Charlie began whistling show tunes as he removed the pan from the oven. The smell of burnt food instantly filled the house. He paused to study the burnt lasagna, then studied me.

"It's a shame," He said sadly, staring down at the meal still in his hands. "This could have been good." He muttered lovingly to the food. Disgusting. Not even the food could love a man like him.

I was still crying when he threw the scalding hot pan at me. It fell on my lap and spattered everywhere. I cringed at the feeling of the burning melted cheese and contents on my skin. I was now covered in blood, lasagna, and tears. _A lot_ of tears.

"Make it sooner next time," He called tauntingly behind his back as he walked away.

"I hate you." I whispered angrily through sniffles. He didn't hear me though. He never heard me. And with that, I fainted.

I woke up next morning when the sun that was peeking through the kitchen curtains was directly in my eyes. Last night's events suddenly started flowing through my head, and the pain all came crashing back to me. I slowly sat up and tried wrapping my head around it all.

My body was now a mess. I now had dried, crusty blood all over myself- especially my arm. I also had the food splattered on myself as well. A definite mess. I stole a glance at the microwave clock that read 6:13. That meant Charlie was still sound asleep in his bed, and wouldn't be awake for another half hour. It also meant that I had an hour to kill until I had to start getting ready for school.

A shower was obviously what I needed, so I lifted my self off the floor with all the strength that my body had left; It definitely wasn't a lot. I was as quiet as I could be, making my way up the stairs. Though whenever I'd take a step, a whimper couldn't help but slip from my mouth. I continued cradling my arm and kept my mouth shut as I made it to the top. Unsure of how successful my balance was, I put my good arm on the wall for support as I made it through the hallway to the bathroom. When I got in, I shut and locked the door. Charlie normally slept like an absolutely rock, so when I turned on the water, I knew he wouldn't wake. At least, I _hoped_ he wouldn't.

I stripped down out of my clothes as I waited for the water to warm. My body looked positively dreadful once it was uncovered. I had bruises, cuts, scrapes, scratches covering everywhere. You could tell where the more recent beatings had been and where the old onces where by the color of my skin. Looks were deceiving though- even without a mark, the pain was still there. It was everywhere.

I stepped in the shower when it was finally warmed up enough to satisfy me, and gasped at the seering pain radiating from my arm. It was an unbearable stinging sensation that made me cringe and shutter at the pain. The water felt amazing on the rest of my body though, so I stood there in contentment, easing into the pain. By the end of my shower, my arm was so numb, it's like it wasn't even there.

Once my towel was wrapped securely around myself, I creaked open the door and tip-toed to my room on the other side of the hallway. When I past Charlie's room, I could still hear his rather loud snores, and sighed in relief. I was safe. For now.

When getting dressed, I knew I'd need something very covering to hide my injuries. It was a shame though, because the forecast was suppose to get as nice as it's been all year. And I'd be wearing a sweatshirt. Hiding myself, like usual.

Charlie must've woken up while I was getting dressed, because when I made my way down the stairs, he was sitting at the dining room table, eating a bowl of cereal. Well, I could now lessen my worries by not having to make his breakfast. So, there was some hope for today being a good day.

He ignored me when I sat down across from him at the table. This was also a good sign. I prayed my luck would last just a little longer. As it turns out, it did. The whole breakfast was made up of completely silent awkwardness. I think it was awkward because maybe, just _maybe_ Charlie was a little remorseful of what he did last night, and this was his way of attempting an apology. I doubted that though.

I took Charlie's and my bowl to the sink when we were both finished. He continued not speaking to me, or acknowledging my presence all the way up until I was about to leave for school.

He grabbed my shoulder and I instantly froze up. I was tense until he released his grip. So he wasn't going to hurt me? What the hell was going on this morning? He had to be drunk. That was the only excuse for his actions, I mean, letting me off the hook? I didn't even make him breakfast. He hated eating cereal.

"I'm gonna be out late tonight with some friends," he told me, not meeting my confused gaze, "You'll probably be asleep by the time I get home, so don't worry about it." Definitely wouldn't be worrying. More like partying. I nodded solemnly as I reached for the door again. He cleared his throat before I opened it though, and I turned back to him.

"I, uh, see you got somethin' put on your arm now," he pointed his glance to my inconspicuously bandaged arm underneath my layered shirt. "Err, good job." He nodded approvingly. I wanted to be a smart ass to him and say something like, _'you mean- good job covering up for me?'_ but I definitely thought better of it. That would _not_ be in my best interest, and I wanted this sudden change of heart to last just a little bit longer, so I nodded back at him again and reached for the door one more time.

Expecting him to stop me, I paused and waited a few seconds until he didn't, and pushed out into the warm sun. _Warm sun_. Now there was something you normally couldn't say or think living in Forks, WA. I already knew I'd be sweating the whole day with my hoodie on. It was ridiculous. _My life_ was ridiculous.

I pulled into the parking lot and was about to open my door when someone else suddenly did.

"Bella!" She squeaked, pulling me into a hug I awkwardly returned. I cringed a bit at the pain, but did my best to beat it back down. I couldn't let it consume me.

"Hi Alice," I said shyly as she released me. I gave her a small smile as we began walking towards the building. "Where's Jasper?" I asked.

"Oh, he's parking the Porsche." She told me proudly. I didn't really care either way, but since she thought I should apparently be informed, she continued on, "Edward wanted to drive by himself toady," she told me, "Though I'm not sure why." She seemed to be off in thought. "Rose and Emmett also drove together in a separate car from Edward. I asked him why, but he wouldn't tell me." Alice turned her smile into a pout.

I laughed at her a little, and we continued to walk in silence until she gasped. "Bella," she said, appalled. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. It's sixty-five degrees for crying out loud! You can't be wearing a sweatshirt!" She began tugging at the fabric.

"No Alice, really, I'm fine," I assured her quickly, gently pushing her hands away. "I'm acutally kind of cold." She gave me a pointed glance and rolled her eyes, but shook it off anyways.

We were soon joined by Em and Rose, then Jazz by the time we were almost into the building. I wondered where Edward was. Wasn't he always with his family?

"So, Bella, where'd you and Ed disappear to during lunch yesterday?" Emmett asked, wagging his eyebrows in an obvious manner. Rosalie kicked him in the shin and he whined. "What? I was just curious," he told her glaring.

"Shut up, Em," Jasper muttered under his breath.

They were clearly getting the wrong idea. I wondered what was the right one though. I couldn't tell them what really happened without there being a lot of questioning involved, so I figured as much as I hated to do it, lying was the best way out.

"Oh, Edward wanted a tour of around the outside of school," I told them. "I wasn't hungry and neither was he, so we just decided to skip." They all seemed to believe it and nodded.

"Hey guys," Edward walked up behind us all just as we entered the front doors.

"Edward," Rose and Alice both grumbled, annoyed.

"Hey man, where were you?" Emmett threw an arm around his brother. Edward grimaced and shook it off. "Remember that talk he had a few weeks ago Em? About personal space. . ." He paused then got real close the Emmett's face. It looked like he was about to kiss him, but he didn't. "And how everyone happens to need some!" He yelled at his brother loudly in his face. Emmett looked a little swayed by his brother's harsh mood, but shook it off anyways. Edward turned to smile at me.

"Bella," he nodded, still smiling.

I nodded back. "Edward." My lips twitched, fighting back a smile. I couldn't act like a total idiot every time I was around him. I mean, it was only the slight facial emotion and he'd probably regret every minute he'd ever spent talking to me and run off to Jess or Vick. For some reason though, Edward didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be interested in girls like them. I couldn't tell though, because of the answer I got yesterday after asking him how many girls he'd dated in his life, I was guessing it was a pretty high number.

Everyone was caught up in their own conversations as we walked down the hallway. I had to admit, walking down the hallway with one of the most beautiful family's on the planet, did tend to make you a little inferior. I waved goodbye to them as we all parted for separate classes. Alice told me she'd see me at lunch and Rose the same.

I had art class next, which should be interesting. I loved art, almost as much as reading, but Jess and Lauren were both in this class with me. In fact, they both sat at my table. Wonderful.

I walked in and took my seat at my now vacant table. Jess and Lauren were off flirting with Mike, captain of the hockey team. AKA- school player. I swear, he had slept with most girls, if not every girl at this school. Except for me of course. There was no way in hell I was getting in bed with him. Or anyone, for that matter.

asked us to take our seats, warning us that class would start soon. They walked over and sat down, noisily chewing and blowing their bubblegum from the other side of the table. Luckily, the seat next had been open for the whole year. I didn't think I could take much more slut talk.

Before the bell for class to start rang, in walked Emmett. Emmett Cullen was in my art class. Well this should be even more interesting then I originally thought. Emmett certainly was a free spirit. . .So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he would sign up to be in art class. In fact, I really wasn't.

He looked around at all his staring class mates and spotted me through the sea of people.

"Hey Bella!" He called cheerfully from the other side of the room, voice booming. He quickly hurried over and sat down in the open seat next to me. The teacher didn't consent because it was the only seat in the class that was open.

I couldn't help but smirk at when both Lauren and Jessica's jaws fell to the floor. Emmett was scary and intimidating for _guys_, but for girls. . .Well, let's just say that Rose should hold on to her man pretty darn tight. Emmett made it very clear and obvious that he was ignoring the two girls sitting at the same table as us, and leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"Hi Bella." He repeated, grinning widely.

I rolled my eyes. "Hello Emmett," I smiled at him. "What brings _you_ to art class?" I had to ask. He looked somewhat taken aback by my question, though I couldn't imagine why. I must've not been able to hide the slight shock from my voice. He had to have known that people would be a little confused when he chose _this_ out of all classes. There were only three other guys in this class for crying out loud! And the only reason that they were in here, was because they wanted to get girls, and since Emmett already had one, I truly was curious.

"Isn't it obvious?" He whispered back loudly. I gave him a puzzled look. "Um, _duh_, Bella, I like to bring out my inner _feelings_." He told me, matter-of-factly. My puzzled look became more concerned, but soon changed to humor. I started laughing, in the middle of class, out loud. I _never_ did that.

"Swan, shut it." The teacher said sternly, glaring at me. I tried stifling my giggles, but didn't succeed. I heard Jessica sigh next to me, disgusted.

"Wow, what a fourth grader," She whispered into Lauren's ear in a loud, obvious manner. Lauren nodded and snapped her gum. "Attention much?" She said, and turned to ogle Emmett.

Emmett was glaring back at her, and that didn't help me with my laughing problem. She looked shocked, and quickly whispered something into Lauren's ear. Emmett was trying really hard not to laugh at her expression, but soon joined in with me.  
"Shhhhh! The both of you," yelled to us. She didn't like it much when people broke her strides. Like Emmett apparently, she always enjoyed _bringing out her inner feelings_, and encouraging those around her to do so as well. I guess I wasn't very surprised though, and never had been, because weren't all art teachers on the verge of semi-crazy?

We both quickly stifled our giggles by cupping our hands over our mouths. I hadn't laughed this much in so long, it just felt so _good_. The reason was because I had never before had anything to laugh at, anyone to laugh _with_. But after meeting Emmett, I knew that'd change. I hoped it would, at least. I knew that we'd be friends eventually. There was just something about him that made you want to join in on his stupid laughter. I loved it. I _envied _it. I envied that I couldn't be like that. Couldn't be so easy and carefree with life.

The rest of the class was quiet work time, so there wasn't much talking going on. I couldn't easily avoid the conversation that was going on next to me though.

"He's so gonna do it soon," Lauren giggled quietly to Jess. "I mean, he _has _to. He just. . like, does, ya know?" I continued to do my best blocking out their nazzly voices.

"I know, right?" Jess whispered back. "I mean, if it were anyone else but Vicky going for him," She paused, pleased with herself. "I'd pounce. But, ya know. . .I mean, I'm sure she's up for a little competition." She smiled smugly. I knew who they were talking about. My hand that wasn't sketching on the paper involuntarily balled up into a fist, but I had no clue as to why the reaction happened. I didn't care if Edward went out with Victoria. In fact, I'm sure they'd be perfect together. . .

I paused to think about that for a little bit. Edward may have _looked_ somewhat that of a player, but he sure didn't act like one. The things he said, the way he had treated me ever since he had moved here, it just didn't seem like something in his characteristics. I knew that the Edward that Lauren, Jess, and Victoria were picturing in their minds did _not_ fit the real Edward that I knew.

We may have only talked a couple of times, and I knew that I couldn't like someone like Edward, but I just felt like he was there for me. It was a crazy epiphany, and I knew it, but when I thought about the idea of him protecting me, my stomach did this flipping, unrecognizable thing. I had to knock this crap off soon before it all got to my head. When I hoped, in the end, I was always crushed. Always.

"I wonder what he was doing with Bella yesterday," Lauren questioned out loud. "Honestly, look at _that_." I could tell by the way she said it that she was obviously gesturing towards me. The led in my pencil broke off from pushing too hard onto my paper. _Just ignore them, Bella._ I told myself.

"I know, honestly," Jess said. "It's really quite pathetic actually. I mean, why would _anyone_ go for _her_? Especially Edward Cullen." Her voice was filled with disgust. "I bet her dad's fucking paying him. That's probably it." She sounded pleased with her conclusion. I grimaced at the mention of my father. Reflex reaction whenever _he_ was brought into a conversation.

Lauren snorted. "What, you mean the money her dad gets from working a meth lab in their basement?" She started to laugh quietly. "That's the only way he gets it, you know? I mean, cops don't make money."

"Well at least now we know why she's so screwed up," Jess giggled, glancing in my direction. I quickly looked back down at my paper, but she had caught me.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." They both said simultaneously, sneering at me then turning to admire a very quiet Emmett next to me. He ignored them though, and continued to keep to himself. I almost wanted to tell him something, like the fact that what they were saying was all lies, but by the look on his face it seemed like he already knew, so I felt like I didn't need to tell him.

He looked up at my face warily and nodded. I was right. For the rest of the class, I tentatively paid attention to the work in front of me, blocking out all sounds and noises around myself until the bell finally rang.

"I'll see you at lunch Emmett," I called over my shoulder as I rushed to get out of that class. I was used to being picked on and made fun of my the skank army all the time, but it hurt none the less, and now I was dreading the rest of the day. Except lunch. _Edward_ would be at lunch. My hopes were already up, and I found that to be very pathetic. I had to face the facts that what Jess said before. Why _would _Edward want to be with me?

When I walked into the lunchroom, I was one of the first few in line. I glanced towards my table and spotted the messy disarray of bronze hair. I smiled to myself, knowing I'd get a little time to talk with him before the others came. When talking to Edward, it always felt like we were in our own little bubble.

He smiled at me as I sat down across from him. "Hi Bells," He tried out his new nick-name for me. I liked the sound of it from him though, so I didn't mind. It was much more refreshing than when Charlie would call me it.

"Hey," I couldn't help but give him a little smile in return. With Edward, I always felt so happy and relieved all of the time. Like his presence took all my pain away. Made it all temporarily better. This time, he didn't ask me how my day had been so far; I'm guessing to avoid a repeat of what had happened yesterday. I still hadn't forgiven myself for loosing it all completely like that. It was downright embarrassing, and I really couldn't imagine how Edward felt about me afterwards.

I reached for my milk carton when I heard Edward's sudden intake of breath from across the table. I glanced up to see his eyes drowning in worry. I started to speak, but he interrupted me. "Bella, where did you get _that_ from?" He asked warily, eyes on my arm.

Oh god, my sweatshirt sleeve had slid up slightly without my notice, now revealing the knife gash I had gotten from Charlie. I gasped in horror and quick pulled my sleeve back down, covering up the evidence. Edward couldn't know. He couldn't get involved.

"I fell," I did my best to let the lie cover my voice. I was a good liar though. I _had_ to be. Edward's eyes met mine, and the way they bore into mine, told me that he knew something was up, and that I was lying. "I was getting out of my car," I went on to explain, "And I tripped, and my arm caught something sharp from the car door." I looked away, afraid that if he continued to stare at me like that, with those eyes, everything would just spill out.

He hesitantly nodded, narrowing his eyes slightly. It was obvious that by now Edward had figured out something was wrong with me. He didn't know what yet, and it seemed pretty clear that he was dead-set on figuring it out. I didn't know why though, I mean, what could _he_ possibly do to help me? No one could help me. I nodded curtly back to him, and looked away. He began unwrapping his sandwich and took a bite out of it, seemingly avoiding my presence. He was mad at me, _that_ much was obvious. I had lied to him. He knew. Edward didn't like to be lied to, but then again, who would?

"Hey Ed, Bella!" Rose said cheerfully as she sat down next to Edward at our table.

"Rose," Edward nodded, not so much as glancing in her direction either. She seemed a little taken aback by how he had greeted her, so she turned her gorgeous face to me and gave me a warm smile.

"Hey Rose," I told her. "How are you?" I asked, filling my voice with as much interest and enthusiasm as I could manage.

"I'm great, thanks for asking, Bella!" She replied happily, turning to give a cold glare to Edward. "I'm glad _some_ people care about my well-being. . ."

"I care baby," Emmett kissed her cheek as he sat down beside her. "I care _a lot_," he pointed out once again, grinning. Edward gave a frustrated sigh.

"_Emmett_," he hissed, menacingly. "Do you even know what we are talking about?" He gritted through his teeth, not even looking up from his lunch. Both Rose and Em glared at him.

"What the hell is your problem, man?" Emmett asked, annoyed. Being the big softy he was, I'm sure Emmett was a little upset about Edward's behavior. _I _would have been. In fact, I was. He shouldn't be all pissy at everyone, including his family, _just_ because I don't tell him every single detail that's going on in my personal life. It is, after all, _my _business, and it really doesn 't concern him.

"Nothing," Edward responded sourly, looking up at the three of us with angry eyes. This boy had some _serious_ bipolar issues going on. I'd have to ask Alice later if that was some kind of trait that was common with him, and if it was, I'd have to ask her how the hell she dealt with it all the time because it was getting to be beyond ridiculous.

Alice and Jasper soon joined us, smiles all around. The mood of the table quickly changed as everyone caught on to Edward's current mood. The rest of the lunch was lacking any talking at all, and it seemed like everyone was keeping to themselves. Even Alice. No one wanted to break the silence either, so it was a pretty boring lunch.

**It was really hard for me to write this chapter, because of all the pain and suffering Bella seems to go through, so I hope it's still real for you guys, and that you enjoyed it.**

**Also, don't worry. You'll find out why Edward's being such an ass right now, in the next chapter. He's not always going to be like that, so again, don't worry.  
I may have mentioned it before, but I'm going to remind you again- Eddy's got some _serious_ bipolar issues.**

**Once again, feel free to check out my website-  
www(dot)simplydazzling(dot)webs(dot)com  
Thanks!**

_**Reviews are better than being in art class with Emmett!(:**_


	5. Memory: Sugarcult

**And waa-laaa!  
Ch. 5, which I decided to post a couple days early.  
It's because I love you guys, you know that right?****the brunette writer****, ****R.M.J Lennixx****, ****The Unnamed One****, and ****CherryBlossom654****.  
Also, to ALL of my reviewers. There really wouldn't be a story without all of you.  
And even if you think your one review doesn't matter...IT DOES. All of them mean the world to me, they really do.**_**Memory – Sugarcult  
**_**(Song's on the website [link on profile])  
The reasoning behind this song is because I just truly love it, and I guess the whole mood of the song somewhat inspired this chapter.  
And in a more deeper version, Edward knows that Bella's had a shitty past and has some pretty bad memories kept with her, and (if this makes any sense) he wants to replace them.  
I think it's obvious that they're just starting to realize they may have feelings for each other as well. (can I get a 'awwwwwwww'?)  
Once you know Edward's past, I think you'll know why.**

For some reason, FF took off my A/N chapter, so I'd just like to again thank the following:

The song for this chapter is

I think that how I'm gonna update the next chapter will be determined on reviews.  
(Hah, I know, evil aren't I?)  
So I guess if I get like a million reviews, I'll update like, REALLY soon.  
I just wanna switch it up a bit I guess, and not make it just a week by week thing.  
(Don't worry, it's not like I'm gonna take that long to update anyway)  
I don't know, it may be a really dumb idea, but I'm just trying something new! XD  
And I LOVE reviews, so that's a plus for me.

Wow, sorry, really long A/N.  
I'm going to shut it now.

**EPOV**

Goddammit, I thought we were past all this shit. Bella lied to me. She fucking lied, right to my face. I knew she was, because I was such a bad liar myself, so it was easy for me to tell. So I really couldn't help but overreact. What the hell was it that she couldn't tell me? I mean, I knew we weren't _that_ close yet, but I was hoping she'd trust me enough to let me in. She didn't though, and I had to be a fucking asshole and overreact the way only I could.

God, I hated myself right now. I had no right to get that angry at her like that, and it was her choice after all- if she decided to tell me or not. I started calming down as soon as I realized that I had no reason to be mad at her, or anyone else for that matter. Especially my family. They didn't deserve my shit. I wanted to apologize, for being such a moron, but I really didn't want to do it in front of my family. They wouldn't understand. Bella would though, and I came to the conclusion that the more she trusted and liked me- she'd open up and tell me on her own time. I'd make her like me. I'd make her realize that I'd be there for her when she needed someone.

Before I even noticed, Bella stood up to dump her tray. I followed her with my eyes as she made it to the trash can and discarded her tray. She kept her head down, avoiding contact with anyone else as she walked back to the table.

Out of no where, this dickhead comes up and carelessly grabs her ass, causing her face to grimace in pain, and her to instantly stiffen. And that's when I lost it. I angrily got up from the table and stomped over to Bella, who's eyes were wide with the fear that she quickly tried to disguise as I approached her. I could feel the eyes of my very confused siblings on my back as well.

I tried to keep my voice as calm and steady as possible, but I couldn't help but have some of my inner fury leak through. Did this dude have any respect for women at all?

I put my hand on her back to make sure she was okay, which I hoped was an alright gesture. I mean, I didn't think it would creep her out or anything, so I went with it. Right when I did, I gasped real quietly at that electric current I always felt from her skin to mine when I was near her.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked, the worry in my voice was strong.

She gulped and nodded, very _un_convincingly. Bullshit, another lie.

"Bella," I repeated her name, concerned. "Who was that?"

She looked up at me and frowned, shaking her head, knowing exactly who I was referring to. "Edward, don't worry about it," She told me, comforting _me_.

"That douche bag just grabbed you in the butt, Bella," I gritted through my teeth, still trying to remain some-what calm. "How the hell do I _not_ worry about it?" I asked. The anger in my voice was not towards her, and I really hoped she knew that.

Bella sighed. "It happens all the time," she said quietly. Her voice was so sad. It had _me_ sad, and I wished desperately that there was some way to comfort her. I knew now was not the time or place though.

"What?" I asked, shocked. So this was usual? She made it sound like it was absolutely no big deal, when in fact, it was. This was definitely _not_ okay with me, and I knew I'd need to get that fucking asshole back eventually. I knew by doing it now, it'd only make matters worse for Bella, so I refrained myself. But I promised myself, _he would be paying for it later_.

I think Bella could somehow since what I was thinking, and brought her tiny hand up to touch my cheek. The warmth of her hand on my face felt absolutely incredible. I closed my eyes for a long second, and sighed. Once again, she was comforting _me_. This was seriously messed up when s_he_ was in fact, the one who needed comforting.

"It's okay Edward, just let it go," She gave me a tiny, sad smile and turned to walk back to the table. Almost everyone in the lunch room was staring at us, jaws to the floor. You'd think we just had fucking sex right in the middle of the cafeteria by the way they were all staring. I glared at them all because I knew they were making Bella uncomfortable, and I quickly hurried to catch up with her.

"Look Bells," I told her genuinely, stopping her so she could look me in the eyes. I was about to take a big leap, and open myself up to her a little bit more than maybe even I was ready for, wishing maybe she'd feel the same way. I figured there'd be no beating around the bush, so I just went on with it and said it. "This is going to sound completely crazy, I know," I paused, staring into her chocolate orbs which were focused intensively on mine, "For some reason. . .I-" I stopped. I was about to sound like such a god-damn creeper. "I feel very protective of you. . ." I don't think I had realized how true that sentence was until I actually said it out loud. I _did_ feel protective of Bella. Probably too for both her and my own good, but it was the truth, and even though I hadn't known this girl for very long, she was different, and I wanted more than anything to keep her safe. She made me want to be a better person.

Her eyes got impossibly bigger, and there was something there in them that I couldn't quite fathom. It wasn't a recognizable Bella facial expression either, so I studied it for a moment. I suddenly identified it with. . ._defeat_? Surrender maybe? Though I didn't know what she was surrendering. Her response told me though, and it surprised me as well.

We were both still a good fifteen feet away from my anxiously waiting family when I heard Emmett loudly clear his throat. I flipped him off with the hand that was at my side, but I don't think he noticed.

"I feel safe around you," She admitted to me, a quiet whisper I almost couldn't hear. In fact, I did a double take to see if that was what she actually said. She felt _safe_ around me? Well then I was sure as hell making some progress here. My mouth spread into a wide, uncontrollable grin, and I couldn't help but stand there, staring at her, smiling like an idiot.

"Good," I told her sincerely, holding her gaze, "I _want_ you to feel safe around me." I assured her. We just stared at each other for a while- staring into each other's souls.

It was this connection that I always felt around Bella, even the first time we met, that always pulled me back to her. Because I _did_ care about Bella. A lot. And since I wanted her to know that, or maybe just because the moment felt so right, I brought my hand up to her face and stroked it lightly, stroking over her cheekbone. The corner of her mouth twitched, and I knew she was fighting a smile.

We made it over back to the table, where Alice and Rose were exchanging many pointed glances from Bella, to me, and back to each other. Damn, time had really slipped the past hour; The bell for lunch to end rang, and I furrowed my brow. I needed to talk to Bella.

It seemed like she was thinking the same thing, and was a little hesitant to stand up as well. I shot her a worried look when I caught yet another glance at her bandaged arm. Why did it always seem like she was hiding things? When my eyes met hers, they were knowing. She knew I was trying to figure her out, but yet she was keeping me in the dark. I trusted her though, I trusted that she had a good reason for doing so.

"Bella, wanna come over after school?" Alice suddenly asked in her usual, chipper attitude. "I'm sure Esme would _love_ to meet you, and same with Carlisle!" Rose nodded in agreement, smiling brightly at her. I almost wanted to hug the guts out of both of them for making Bella feel so wanted. It was just what she needed, and I knew that I couldn't do it on my own.

Bella thought about it for a moment, then nodded with a small smile creeping across her face. She was blushing a little too, which caused me to smile widely. I couldn't help that her face could just light up a room.

"I can drive her," I cut in before Alice said anything more. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bella looking down at her feet blushing again. She didn't say anything though, so I figured she wouldn't mind. _I_ sure didn't. In fact, I'd give Bella a ride to school and back everyday. What the hell was I getting myself into? I was becoming beyond obsessed. I needed to knock this shit off soon before I did something _really_ stupid. It's just to save gas, I told myself, being satisfied in my conclusion. After all, Esme would be proud of me for thinking such things.

I turned to Alice, but before I could say anything, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Yeah, I'll drive her car home." She smiled, a little irritated, but happy non-the-less.

"Alice, really, you don't need to," Bella said, suddenly seeming nervous that she might have upset Alice. That was impossible though. I didn't think Bella could upset _anyone_.

"Don't be silly, Bella," Alice assured her cheerfully. "It's not a problem at all, really. I'm just a little pissed that Edward just likes to assume things before asking." She shot me a quick, frustrated look.

I ruffled her hair. "Sorry, Al."

She crossed her arms again and huffed before her face broke into a smile of forgiveness. I knew I was truly lucky to end up with Alice as a sister. I didn't deserve her, and I knew it, but still ended up with her anyways.

"Well now that we've had our little tea party, can we get our asses to class?" Emmett whined impatiently. "I don't wanna be late, really guys." Somehow, I doubted that.

"Really, Em?" Jazz asked skeptically. "Since _when_ are you worried about being late?" He playfully punched a fist into Emmett's rib cage.

"Yeah," Rosalie asked curiously, rubbing her hand up and down his arm. "Since when, babe?"

"Since I realized that this crap counts for college!" Emmett frowned at all of us. "Don't you guys care?" I think we all stifled a laugh, even Bella.

"We care Em," I laughed assuringly. "Really, we do. It's just that us Cullen's like to be somewhat bad-ass, you know?"

Jasper pounded my fist. "Amen to that my brother," He laughed, while Alice glared at him. That made him laugh more, so she couldn't help but laugh a little too. When Jasper was happy, Alice couldn't help but feel the same way. It was the other way around as well. Alice's pain, Jasper's pain. Those two truly were the missing pieces in each other's puzzles.

"Alright -Ass, let's get to science." Bella giggled, rolling her eyes and pulling me away from the others. Her comment made me smile so hugely, I thought my face might break off. I had never heard her sound so carefree and joking before. It was too fucking adorable for words. This was by far, my favorite side of Bella I had seen of her yet.

My mood continued to get better when she slipped her little hand through mine as we made our way up the second floor to the classroom. I didn't know where all of her self-confidence suddenly came from, but I wasn't about to stop her. I could tell that she was surprising herself too as we walked down the halls together, hand in hand.

Once again, there was something about being with Bella that felt so natural. Like it was suppose to be. I knew it was a totally ridiculous long-shot, but it just felt right for some reason.

I was thankful that science was the last class of the day, and that I had it with Bella. We didn't have very many opportunities throughout the class period to talk, but just being with her was better than nothing. To me, at least. I always had no clue what she was thinking, and almost asked her a couple of times but thought better of it. She just kept shooting me these small little smiles. I was still waiting for the real deal to come, and hoped it would come soon.

This time, when the bell rang, Bella didn't rush out of the classroom like usual. She packed up her stuff and waited for me to do the same. I was eager and nervous to get home, both at the same time. Nervous because I wasn't sure how she was going to react to everything, being as unpredictable as she always was. Eager because I was excited for her to meet Esme. I knew my mother would take an instant liking to Bella. Who wouldn't?

There were more people in the halls this time around, so Bella kept her hands to her sides, I was guessing to avoid attention. I was a little disappointed, but didn't let it sway my chipper attitude. Hell, I felt like Alice. I was surprised that I didn't start to whistle. I _almost_ did.

"Thanks for the ride Edward, really," Bella said as soon as we were both in the Volvo. Alice was pulling out of the parking lot in Bella's truck as the other's regrouped vehicle pairings. I had them all drive themselves because I secretly wanted to give Bella a ride home, but I didn't tell them that. Though, I'm almost positive they knew anyways. I was a fucking open book.

"Don't thank me," I told her, "It's really no problem at all." I decided that I was making myself sound a little to intense, so I added casually, "I mean, we live so close, you know? So it's not a big deal."

She nodded in agreement, seeming to accept that.

We drove in comfortable silence for a while, until Bella spoke up. "I don't get you, Edward." Her voice sounded both puzzled and amused at the same time.

"How so?" I asked curiously, keeping my eyes on the road. I knew she didn't like it when I didn't watch where I was going. She had never actually said it out loud, but I knew. She would always do this weird fidgeting thing, so I cut that shit out and hadn't looked at her the whole ride so far. I didn't mind though, because if it made her trust me more, I'd do it. I'd do anything at this point.

"Well," She started, pausing in thought. "It's hard to explain." I raised my eyebrow at her. "I mean, it's like you're really happy and can't stop smiling one minute, and the next you're so mad at me that it feels like you hate me."

I froze up. I _never_ wanted or meant for her to think I hated her. Complete opposite actually, I was attached to this girl in a way that was probably very unhealthy for the both of us. It was this feeling at the pit of my stomach that I always had when I was around her. It couldn't have been nerves, because I was never nervous around girls, but it was just this weird feeling, _only_ around Bella. It was good though, I knew that much.

"Bella," I told her seriously, looking over at her. She needed to see that I was sincere with my words, so I didn't care if I took my eyes off the road for a few seconds. "I've _never_ hated you." Her face seemed to be the slightest bit relieved, but I kept going. "And I _never_ will hate you. I'm sorry if it feels that way, really, I am. I sometimes just get so caught up in my own shit, and have such a hard time controlling my temper." It was really good to let her know this, and to get it off my chest. "Please, don't ever think I'm mad at you, because trust me, I'm always mad at myself, _and not you_."

She didn't say anything, so I was afraid I had said something wrong, and sounded like a total asshole. I sighed in frustration once again, cursing silently in my mind that I couldn't know what she was thinking.

"No Edward, don't be embarrassed," She said quickly, a little bit of remorse was in her voice. I guess I hadn't realized that I'd been blushing a little up until now. Fucking facial feelings. "Really, I'm so glad you told me that; It's really nice to know. Thank you for telling me." She assured me, looking down at her hands in her lap and a slight smile played across her face. At the moment, she seemed content, but I could tell that she was nervous too- about meeting the rest of the family.  
"They'll like you, you know," I told her while driving. I was sure of it.

She looked up from her lap and at me. "What?" Confusion clouded her voice.

"Carlisle and Esme," I said simply. "I know that they're going to really like you." It was true, Esme would love Bella, and immediately be taking her in as she would her own daughter. And Carlisle, with all his compassion, how could he not love Bella? Carlisle was such an inspiration to me, and I was so lucky to end up with him.

"Really?" She didn't sound to confident in herself.

"Really." I told her smiling, as I turned to brush a piece of hair that was in her face gently behind her ear. Her face turned that deep crimson color, so I continued to smile. Damn, was this day just getting better and better. I knew not to push my luck, so I kept my hands to myself the rest of the ride.

There was nothing more to be said on the car ride home.

I could swear a few times I heard Bella quietly humming to herself. She kept her eyes closed and rested her head against the back of the seat. I knew she wasn't sleeping- just relaxing. I was instantly caught up in the moment and couldn't stop staring at her. God, she was so beautiful.

"Who?" Bella suddenly asked, opening her eyes and perking up in her seat.

Fuck, did I just say that out loud? Well, since I was being so god-damn honest, I decided to tell her the truth. I mean, it wasn't a bad thing, definitely not. In fact, the more an more I thought it in my head, the more and more I realized how true it was.

"You are." I smiled at her, unashamed. I was glad that I had told her. She needed to know that, because she _was_ beautiful. I couldn't believe I was just starting to see that now.

Her face, red from before, turned impossibly redder, making her impossibly cuter. "Really?" She asked in a tiny voice, staring up at me through her long lashes.

I laughed out loud. Did she seriously think I was kidding? I smiled genuinely at her. "Would I lie to you?" I asked, my tone was gentle. I wouldn't lie to Bella, she had to have known that.

She continued to blush and stare out the window. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime, Bells," I whispered back, meaning it.

I pulled into the driveway, where Alice and Emmett's cars were both already parked. Of course they would beat us home, my wonderful siblings did not care much about following trafic laws. I rolled my eyes and turned off the ignition. I quickly rushed out of my door and around to get Bella's. It seemed like a good gesture to make, so I did. She gave me a small smile, which must of meant she had appreciated it.

I also steadied her when she tripped slightly up the front steps, and opened the front door into the house, all with a huge smile on my face. I must say, I was pretty fucking proud of myself for pulling off all these gentlemanly gestures. It felt a little weird though, but I still did it. For Bella.

When we stepped inside, Bella's mouth opened slightly in shock. Yeah, that was my first reaction in this house as well. It was big. Too big. Like anybody would ever need all this space. It was Esme who'd picked it out though, and she loved to be extravagant, so we all went with it.

"Bella!" Alice cried as she rushed down the stairs, Jazz only a few steps behind her. She through her arms around Bella and gave her a quick hug before pulling away. "Welcome to our lovely abode." She giggled. Jazz snaked his arm around Alice's waist and kissed the top of her head. She smiled at him adoringly.

"Thanks," Bella smiled shyly. She was looking around at everything, taking it all in. I wondered what she was thinking, and if Carlisle or Esme were home yet. "Where's Rose and Emmett?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, Emmett's trying out his knack at cooking," Jasper told us, sounding both concerned and amused at the same time. Bella didn't look surprised, which made me laugh a little. Looks like Em already made an impression.

"Rose is helping him," Alice told her before she had to ask.

"I'm going to assume that we are ordering take-out tonight, then?" I asked sarcastically. Both Alice and Bella giggled quietly.

"Sounds like a safe option," Jazz nodded in agreement.

"Not on my watch!" Emmett boomed as he marched into the room with a wooden spoon full of god-know's what on it. He had on a very 'manly' apron with lace and everything, and to top it off, he even had on one of those cheesy-ass chef hats. Rose came in after him, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"Well Em, you know, if your, um, cooking doesn't work out there, it's always a good second resort." Jasper pointed out again, giving Emmett a playful punch in the arm.

Emmett crossed his arms and stared up at the ceiling, pretending to sulk. "Alright, ye of little faith, we'll just wait and see."

Rose hugged him from behind. "That's my man," he smiled at her and kissed her on the nose, while they each chased each other back into the kitchen.

"Well, this should be interesting." I pointed out, glancing around at the faces that probably mirrored my exact expression. Confusion, humor, concern? Well, I guess that wasn't anything new. A lot of people tended to have that reaction to Emmett.

"Alright so do you want to show her around, Edward? Or should I?" Alice asked excitedly. What kind of question was that? Hell yeah, I wanted to. I justed wouldn't tell them both how much.

"Oh, I can Al, go play with Jazz," Jasper smiled evilly at me and turned to Alice.

"Alright, well don't steal Bella for to long," She winked at me. _Winked_? Then, she danced out of the room with Jasper on her heals. I snorted. Dude would do fucking anything for her.

I turned to smile at Bella who was looking up at me. "Shall we?" I asked, holding out my arm to which she eagerly wrapped hers around.

**BPOV**

The Cullen's house was huge. I had seen it many times from the outside and had always thought it was big, but this was just ridiculous. I felt so intimidated and out of place inside of it.

I was trying to stop my slight shaking of nerves, but wasn't succeeding.

"Shall we?" Edward asked, holding out an arm for me to take, flashing me his signature crooked smile and unleashing the smoldering power of his emerald eyes on me. He must've known that was just what I needed to calm down, so I didn't hesitate when I wrapped my arm around his and let the strange electric current between our bodies calm me.

I knew he must've felt it too, because right when our skin made contact, I heard a very slight gasp come from his mouth. Whether that was a good or bad sign, I was unsure.

I was beginning to trust Edward more and more, which I knew was a bad thing. I just couldn't help myself though- After years and years in loneliness, for once it was nice to feel like someone was there for me and cared. A friend. Edward Cullen, to be exact. I tried not to let myself worry to much about the consequences I would face when I was eventually pulled in too deep.

Edward pulled me along through the living room, then the study- not saying much, but not needing to. The more and more I saw of his house, the sadder I became. Every polished picture frame perfectly placed, every exquisite vase, each telling me the same message; _You don't belong here, Bella. You're not good enough.  
_I glared angrily at all the objects without Edward's notice, shouting back to them in my mind, _If Edward wants me here, than I'm gonna be here, and I'll damn well like it!_ I felt satisfied with my progressive courage, and suddenly wished that was how I could face Charlie sometimes.

Sure, when it came to silently talking to un-living objects, I was all fine and dandy. Now when it came to my own father, a whole different story. I realized if I'd ever choose to talk to him like that, he'd probably kill me, or worse.

I really wondered why he even kept me around all the time. I mean, if I was such a bother to him, wouldn't he just get rid of the problem all together? Clearly he didn't want me, _that_ was an obvious fact. My stomach turned a little sick when I figured out that the only reason he probably did it was for his own, sick pleasure. What a monster.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked confused, waving a hand in front of my face. I must've totally zoned out on him. I did that a lot, and kicked myself eternally for doing it around him. Edward was always so nice to me, he deserved all of my attention all of the time.

"Yeah sorry," I apologized quickly, shaking my head, "I guess I just have a lot on my mind." I wasn't going to lie to him again. Not after how he had taken it at lunch this afternoon. I'd decided a couple hours ago that I'd never lie to Edward again- I'd just leave out a lot of details, not tell him the whole story, and do the _occasional_ fibbing which would probably be necessary at times. I'd let him try and figure it out on his own, because telling him would be breaking down my final wall, even though so many were already knocked down.

He stopped me and took both his hands in mine, suddenly getting a little too close for comfort. I was trying to figure out if I was okay with our close proximity, and decided that oddly enough, I was. When people were usually this close to me, it was normally because they were about to, if not already, inflict pain to me. Edward was doing the opposite, by was trying to help me.

"We can talk about it. . .if you want?" He asked, and I could tell by the way he said it that he was trying to cover up how desperate he was at finding out my mystery.

"Maybe some other time," I told him, hoping to bring his hopes up and not put him in a bad mood. I figured I'd probably end up telling him eventually, so I decided not to completely deny his request, and just post-pone it. He seemed to except that, and nodded seriously.

He released one of my hands and kept the other. Holding hands with Edward Cullen was one of the few pleasures my life held for me. Whenever I'd hold it, it felt like they were made for each other. Like the reason there were spaces between my fingers was so that Edward could fill them with his own. Most importantly, _I felt safe_. I had already told him that, but I didn't tell him the full details. I didn't tell him that whenever he was around, it felt like I could do anything. It felt like I could be the person I wanted, a teenage girl without any worries or burdens. I was a hostage to my own humanity, self detained and forced to live in this mess of a life I had. With him, it felt like nobody could hurt me. I hadn't told him that yet though, not wanting to sound like the freak I was.

We walked up the grand staircase together, and into the first bedroom on the left of the hallway. We stepped inside, and I instantly recognized it as Edward's room. For a guy like him, his room was surprisingly tidy. He had his large bed neatly made, all the drawers and closet doors closed, and a bookshelf on the back wall that was taller than me. That really captured my attention. Edward liked to read? Well, maybe we weren't completely opposites like I thought.

I was about to ask him what his favorites were when I spotted something else that caught my attention. I hadn't noticed it before, but on his bed lay a shiny-as-glass, black guitar. I had always been interested in music myself, but never had gotten the chance to learn how to play. I supposed if my childhood had turned out as it was suppose to, I may have had the chance. There was no going back though, so I always tried not to dwell on the negatives.

"You play?" I asked, knowing the answer already. When I first met Edward, the first thing that I guessed he was, was a musician. Unthinkingly, I slowly made my way over to his bed with the guitar lying across it. I sat down and stroked the glossy black wood a few times.

I didn't hear Edward come up behind me, so I jumped a slight bit when he sat down next to me and picked up the guitar.

"Yeah, I play," he nodded, smiling slightly. He took it into his arms and strummed a few chords. "Do you play any instruments?" He asked curiously, still quietly playing random chords and notes while staring up at me through his impossibly long eyelashes. My heart sped up, and I quickly looked away from his eyes, trying to refocus. Why did I do those things whenever I was around him?

"No," I told him, staring down at my lap where my hands were fidling. "I've always wanted to, though." I admitted, this time looking up at him. His eyes were still on mine, but less intensively this time. A smile played across his lips.

"How come you've never learned?" He asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Well, Char- _my dad_, isn't really that type of person." I said, unsure of how to continue this without giving too much away. "I mean, he's not like the 'drive-you-to-the-mall/coach-of-daughter's-soccer-game' kind of guy." I finished, pleased with my conclusion. Those characteristics were definitely not ones that fit Charlie.

I could tell that Edward was thinking really hard, trying to figure out if this meant something, or if it was a good or bad thing. I wondered what he had came up with.

"Oh," was all he said. I nodded at him, rubbing my arm unthinkingly, to soothe the burning pain that had come back. Had it ever really gone away, though?

"Tell me more about yourself, Bella," He asked suddenly, setting down his guitar and lying back on the bed, arms behind his head in a casual manner.

I swooped my legs around so they weren't hanging off the bed, and stayed sitting cross-legged, facing him. I didn't know how to answer this question.

"Specifically?" I asked, buying myself some lee-way.

He thought about that for a moment. I prayed he wouldn't ask what I knew he was about to.

"Tell me about your family," He specified. Damn, now I really had no clue how to proceed. I hated to have to do it, but I wasn't ready for Edward to know the real story yet. I'd have to lie again. I'd have to lie for _Charlie_. I almost gagged.

"Well, um. . ." I paused, putting on the best smile I could manage, trying not to make it seem too forced. "My childhood was the picture of perfection," I almost laughed at that one. I hoped he knew I was being sarcastic.

He did. He gave me a skeptical look, and a face that clearly read _'yeah right'_. Was it that obvious?

"My mother died in a car accident when I was nine." I suddenly blurted out. My voice sounded so lifeless as a began to become more sad by the second. I knew this conversation was heading into the tear-zone. I couldn't let it though, not yet at least. I couldn't let Edward in on my secret yet. I just wasn't ready for that.

His face became filled with sadness as he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry Bella," He said, really meaning it. I didn't know what he was apologizing for though. _He_ didn't do anything. _He_ didn't ruin my life. "You're to good of a person to have that happen to," He went on. Was that. . .a compliment? No, that was clearly out of pity, and strictly pity only. I couldn't let one little statement get to my head.

"You don't have to go on, if you don't want," He hedged. I instantly thanked him in my mind for giving me an escape from the more lies I'd have to tell, but I almost sort of wanted to tell him more. I felt like I owed him something, like he deserved better than my lies. He did, and that's when I realized I should have bolted for the door that minute. I didn't though, I stayed frozen next to him on his bed, feeling oddly relaxed.

"After that, things became quiet between me and my dad, and I don't think we're very close," I felt satisfied with this response. This wasn't a lie, it was completely true. Charlie and I were _definitely_ not close. I was probably closer with half my teachers. "Well, I don't think we ever really were," I added quietly.

"Oh," he said again, thinking of what to say next. That's one of the things I liked about Edward. He wasn't one of those guys who just sat there and pretended they were something they weren't. It was as clear as day to me that he didn't care what people thought about him, and he was completely real. I didn't know how that could be though, because no one who looked as good as him could look just as good on the inside. I stopped myself at that thought before I started sounding like a fortune cookie.

"I guess my life's just pretty normal," I concluded, trying to fool him yet again. This was by far, the biggest lie I've always had to tell people: _I have a normal life_.

He basically snorted, and that skeptical look came back into play. _Very _skeptical. I must've been a horrible actress, because Edward definitely knew something was up, and by the looks of where he was headed, I knew he'd probably get to his answer soon enough.

Before he could disagree and tell me to stop lying or something like that, Alice popped her head in the door and smiled widely at us. She must've liked what she saw, but didn't comment on it. Instead, "Esme's home and Carlisle's on his way," She told us happily. "Esme wants to meet Bella right away, and says that Bella will be staying for dinner," Alice seemed pleased with herself for some reason, and the happiness radiating from her was almost contagious. My mood instantly lightened up a bit. "Oh, and Bella?" She asked, smiling at me.

"Yeah, Alice?" I responded, wondering what she was going to say next.

"I hope you like spaghetti." She grinned hugely and as quickly as she had came, she was gone.

Edward chuckled while he got up off the bed and raked his hand through his messy hair. I stood up as well, and awkwardly pulled at my sweatshirt sleeves, while staring down at the ground.

"Don't worry," Edward assured me with a warm smile. "It won't be as bad as you think." And like it was the most natural thing in the world, like it was something we'd been doing for years, he held out his hand for me to take, and I took it without hesitation.

**Sorry, I know I left that at sort of a crappy spot, but if I would have kept going this chapter would have been way to long.  
Next one you'll get to see E & C finally meet Bells(:  
It'll be in EPOV too, so I hope that's a plus for some of you.  
**

**I relieved you all from more Charlie tragic in this chapter.  
I know, right? I wanted a break from the sadness too.**

Quick FAQ:

Edward's Past?- I have gotten this question/comment so much. You will find out eventually! Okay? I'm not gonna just put it in at a totally random part of the story.  
You gotta keep these things flowing, so like I said, it will be reviled soon enough.  
Ooooh, sounds exciting, right?

_**Reviews are better than holding hands with Edward. . .(okay, not really, but they're pretty damn close!)**_


	6. AN

**I felt the need to put up this Author's Note because when FanFic took off my old A/N, it was known as chapter 5, so now that I posted the REAL chapter 5, it's not saying there's a new update or anything, and etc.  
So I'm just putting this up so all of you who have Face Down on story alert know that there's a new chapter(:  
Also, I think it doesn't allow you guys to review the current Ch.5 because you've already reviewed the old author's note (unless you didn't, then you should be fine). So, if it doesn't let you review **MEMORY: SUGAR CULT**, just review your thoughts and comments on THIS a/n.  
Thanks so much for your cooperation guys!**  
_**(If this for some reason doesn't make sense, let me know.)**_

**Oh, and I just wanna let you all know that I'll be answering ****any**** questions that you guys have for me. It's like, FAQ week. XD  
So feel free to ask in your review, or just PM me.  
I love you guys, I really do.**

**-Justine**


	7. I Need You: Relient K

**The OFFICIAL Ch. 6!  
Yeah, so pretty sure I love you guys. A lot.  
You already knew that, though(:  
I said I'd update a little earlier if I got more reviews, and look at that -pokes reviews- I did!  
You guys truly are incredible, and so here is my reward: Face Down – Chapter 6.**

**Chapter 6's song is _I Need You – Relient K_**  
**My reasonings hard to explain until after you read the chapter, but here's what I can give you.  
Edward's not crystal clear on how he feels at the moment, in fact, he's totally confused.  
He admits a few things, and this song is really like what he hasn't admitted to himself yet.  
I don't know, trust me, I think it'll make more sense AFTER reading the chapter.  
Plus, the song just inspired me for this ch. for the most part, and I love Relient K!  
--You can listen to I Need You by visiting my profile and clicking on the link to my website--**

**This chap's all Edward, so I'm hoping you guys'll be a fan of it.  
Plus, -squeal- Carlisle and Esme finally get an intro into the story!**

-**shuts up-  
Alrighty, I'm done.  
~xoxo,  
Justine(:**

**EPOV**

Her hand felt so warm. So fragile; Like I could crush all her little bones into dust by flexing mine. It felt _right_, though. Like they were fit perfectly for each other.

I gave it a slight squeeze when I noticed her nervous expression. The last people she should be nervous around were my family. I mean seriously, did she think we were some well-oiled machine, eat dinner together every night kind of people? No, that was _not_ us. It's not like we didn't get along though either, because we definitely did. It was just that sometimes we all liked to keep to ourselves and do our own things.

"Don't worry," I whispered to her, leaning my lips down to reach the height of her ear. I had this sudden urge to plant a tiny kiss on it, but had to beat it back down. What was I doing?

I noticed her shoulders get slightly less tense, and heard her take a deep breath and nod. Then, she stared up into my eyes with the most trustworthy expression I had ever seen in my life. It made me want to move mountains for her. Hell, I would've in that moment. There was just something in them, and in her personality that made me want to be different- that made me _feel_ different. I couldn't pull my eyes away from hers.

I had just now barely noticed that we had both stopped walking. Her eyes continued to stare into mine, and mine into hers. There was that deep, creamy brown again. It was like I couldn't look away. While one of my hands was still intertwined with hers, I brought the other hand up to her face to stroke it. As my fingers trailed across the skin on her cheek, she would blush and that would just force me to continue. I brought our hands that were together up, and used my index finger to stroke just below her cheekbone. Her face felt so soft, and even though Bella wore no make-up, she was still ten times more pretty than any girl I'd ever known.

We stood there for about ten minutes, the whole time never taking either's eyes from another. It was that connection again that had us both frozen in our tracks. I knew she could feel it too; The electricity and sparks passing through our skin. That had never happened with Tanya, or Shelly, or Kate, or anyone for that matter. I knew why though- Bella was different. A _good_ different.

"We should-. . .probably, go downstairs. . .?" She whispered, finally breaking out of the trance. I nodded and pulled her along down the stairs, even though my legs felt like fucking jell-o. I didn't know what exactly that _was _back there, but I knew we both saw something there, _felt _something. It felt like her eyes were holding a certain expectation for me- one that I'd try as hard as hell to meet. Mine were telling her to let go, and to trust me.

I released Bella's hand when we got to the dining room, met by the anxious eyes of my awaiting family. Bella blushed as I pulled out her chair for her to sit in. I didn't give a shit what my family thought, she deserved to be taken care of. I sat down in the open chair next to her. Both Esme and Carlisle were now home, and the smiles on there faces showed many different emotions. Esme's: Joy, excitement, concern, and welcome. Carlisle's: Warmth, proud, and a little bit of. . .smugness?

I nodded to them both with a genuine smile and turned to Bella to introduce her to them.

"Bella, this is my mom, Esme," I told her, turning to smile at Esme.

"Bella, it is so wonderful to meet you," She got up from her chair and walked over to hug her. Bella was surprised, but returned the hug with a small smile. No one could tell the difference except me- Her smile was already becoming healed. Barely, but even the slightest bit gave me a twinkle of hope. Esme smiled at her, "I want you to know that you are always welcome here, and if there's anything you ever need, don't even take a second to hesitate." God, I loved my mom.

"And this is my father, Carlisle," It was still a little weird to call Carlisle _dad_, but I was getting used to it, even though it had been a while. He was such a good man. Carlisle gave Bella a huge smile and reached out his hand across the table for her to shake. She did, and smiled back at him. "It's nice to meet you, Bella."

"Thank you," She said shyly, "The both of you. You have a beautiful home." Bella was now looking down at her plate, embarrassed by the attention, no doubt. She was like me in that way. Every second I was learning more and more about how similar Bella and I were. Sure, they were only tiny things, but anything was already a blessing. I stopped myself. Why the hell was I sounding so god-damn religious? Like a fucking priest would sound.

"Thank you, dear," Esme smiled at her. Then, at me? I knew there'd be a conversation after Bella left. I didn't know what I'd tell her. What was Bella to me? A friend? Definitely. Girlfriend? No, that label made Bella sound too much like the other girls in Forks. Plus, I knew I didn't consider Bella my girlfriend, and I knew she didn't either.

Alright, friends it was. I hoped they would believe it was normal for friends to hold hands and stare intently into each other's eyes for long periods of time. Well, if anyone would, it'd be Esme. So I grinned back at her. Man, was I fucked up.

We started eating the spaghetti Esme had prepared, and it was getting beyond a little awkward. Alice, Jazz, Em, and Rose had all yet to say anything. I avoided the glances that they were all shooting me. Especially Alice's. I knew that _her's_ would be especially worse. I also knew that everyone in my family was getting the wrong idea, and that it was making Bella uncomfortable till the point of no end.

"So. . ." I stated lamely, hoping to start at least _some_ conversation. I couldn't take much more of it either, and I knew it'd only be a matter of seconds until Bella bolted for the door.

Like on cue, Esme began, "So Bella, how long have you lived in Forks?"

"My whole life," Bella answered, without hesitation, even though there was a very slight hint of worry in her voice. For some reason, I knew Bella didn't want to talk about her family, and I knew that was where Esme was heading with this conversation, so I decided to cut in.

"Alice, you're in some of Bella's classes, right?" I asked desperately, trying to save Bella. I didn't know how I knew what Bella wanted, I just did. Alice's little head popped up from her plate as she beamed and nodded cheerfully.

"Oh yes," she started, setting down her fork, "She's in my english class, and spanish class. It's so fun, right Bella?" Bella nodded, attempting to be as enthusiastic as Alice. She did an okay job, I had to give her that.

"I'm in her art class," Emmett stated proudly. Jasper started snicker and Rose kicked his shin from under the table. "Ouch!" He whined, "What up with the violence?"

Carlisle set down his fork, pushed aside his plate of food, and joined the conversation. His face was a little confused and concerned, but he was trying to hide it. "Uh. That's great Em. I didn't know you joined art?" Carlisle's confused tone was not well-hidden.

Emmett nodded vigorously. "Yep." He sighed, "Why does everyone think I'm an asshole for being in art class? What's the big deal?"

Esme sent a disproving look Emmett's way and scolded, "Emmett. Language!"

He rolled his eyes, and so did the rest of us. Even Carlisle. I hated to admit it, but we Cullen kid's were pretty big potty mouths. Carlisle wasn't, definitely not, he just knew that _we_ were. He was so cool like that, he never cared. Now Esme, that was a different story.

"Bella's in my gym class," Jasper stated, crossing his arms. "Hah, beat _that_, Em." He chuckled smugly.

Emmett crossed his arms too, and pouted. It was actually a pretty hilarious sight to see someone with Em's appearance act like a fucking man-child. I had to cough to cover up my laughs.

Rosalie sighed sadly from across the table. "Bella's not in any of my classes."

Jasper laughed. "Hah, we beat you both, didn't we my brother?" He held out his hand to give Emmett a high five. Emmett just stared at him, and shook his head in disapproval.

"Boys," Alice muttered disapprovingly under her breath, along with a string of a few other not-dinner-appropriate terms. Poor Bella, hadn't had a chance to get a single word in. I didn't think she minded though.

The rest of dinner was just a bunch of simple small talk. As the evening went on, you could tell Bella was getting more and more comfortable. I was glad. This was just what I had hoped for.

After another hour of some more pointless conversation at the dinner table that was now cleared, thanks to Esme, Bella shot a glance at the clock and her face turned instantly sorrowful. Once again, a slight change my family probably wouldn't pick up. I sure did, though.

"I should probably be heading home soon," Bella sighed, slowly getting up from her chair. I took the time to closely observe her movements, checking for anything that seemed out-of-place or unusual to me. The way she got up, almost looked like she was doing to slowly because she was in pain. My first instinct was to think it was her arm, but it just seemed so much more than that.

I felt so helpless, not knowing what to do or say about it, and just sat there silently. Both Alice and Esme coughed under their breaths until I finally looked at them. They were both gesturing with nods to Bella, which I could only assume were wrongly interpreted.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Bella," Rose got up and quickly hugged her, then ran off up the stairs to do god know's what. My family sure had a thing for hugging. Alice did the same, followed by Esme. Carlisle told her how happy he was to meet her again, and disappeared into his study.

She headed for the door, and I made my way behind her. Once we were both standing in the entrance and she had her shoes on, she was about to leave before I stopped her.

"I had such a good time tonight, thank you for that, Edward," She told me, smiling just a little bigger than usual. I thought I might get the real thing right then, but wasn't surprised when I didn't. It would come, I kept telling myself.

I smiled back at her, "Don't thank me," I told her, "I'm glad you had a good time. Oh, and I apologize in advance for the weird impression my family may have left on you. Really, there normally not like this." I grinned, unashamed.

She let out a little laugh. "No, I love them. They're great." I was so relieved to hear it, that I almost let out an Alice squeal. I probably would've barried myself in a hole afterwards in I did though, so I'm glad I didn't. I was just to damn happy she approved of my family. I still didn't even know I cared so much anyways.

I laughed. "We'll see," I told her honestly, still chuckling. If everything continued to go as well as tonight, we'd be seeing a lot more of Bella around here. I hoped, at least. And she was only with my family a couple hours; She could easily change her mind.

"Well, Esme was right," I told her, cautiously taking her hand without even thinking about it. "You're welcome here _anytime_."

She smiled at me again. "I'd like that." Then her face wavered, and turned the slightest bit troubled. I didn't know why, and wanted to, but still wanted this night to end on a high for me. Since my family were totally the hugging type, I figured it couldn't hurt me to follow in their footsteps. I gently pulled Bella into the circle of my arms and held her there for a minute. She hugged me back, and before I let her go, I breathed in the sweet scent of her. If I could have, I would have kept her in my arms the whole night, just holding her. It was when I felt the most myself.

While she was walking down the front door steps to her car, I called out after her. "Bella, would it be okay if I drove you to school tomorrow?" She stopped and turned around to nod, then opened the door to the driver's seat.

I stood there and watched as she drove off, wishing her in my head a safe ride home. I knew she'd be safe because she only had a block to drive. I stared after her head lights, "Goodnight, Bella." I whispered, just too late.

I walked back into the house with a huge smile on my face. I just couldn't help but not be able to rub it off. It was one of the better nights I'd had in a long time. Lately, Bella had been having that affect on me.

"Edward, could you come here please?" I heard Carlisle call from in his study. I heard Esme's whispers also, and knew I was about to face a more scary version of the Spanish Inquisition. The questions they had for me could only be bad. I ran both my hands through my hair, frustrated that this is the way my night would have to end.

I put on the best fake smile I could, pulling it off pretty well thanks to observing Bella so much in the past week. "What's up?" I asked casually as I entered the room. Carlisle was sitting in his swivel chair behind his desk, while Esme leaned up against the left arm rest, and both of them had curious smiles on their faces. Spanish Fucking Inquisition.

"Oh nothing's wrong dear, you're not in any trouble," Esme assured quickly, continuing to smile at me. Alice had really been wearing off on everybody lately. Normally, none of us smiled _that _much.

"What's Bella to you?" Carlisle wasn't going to do any beating around the bush bullshit. That was the question I was expecting, so it didn't take me off guard. Esme elbowed him in the shoulder.

"What he meant," She rolled her eyes at Carlisle, "Is how do you _like_ Bella?" You could hear the burning curiosity in each of their questions. I could have been a total ass and said something along the lines of _"Stop being so damn nosy, it's my business,"_ But instead, I smiled and replied, "She's a good friend." That sounded right.

Esme nodded enthusiastically, like the mom who figured out her kindergartener just made their first friend. "Well, she seems _very_ nice." She hinted and winked at me. She fucking winked. What the hell did that mean? I thought I knew where this was going, but it was becoming beyond me.

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "I do wish you could see yourself around her, Edward." He smiled proudly. "You probably don't notice it yourself, but she makes you act like you _before_ that mess had all happened." I knew exactly what he was talking about, and right when he said those words, it clicked. Bella did make me like that. "I know Carlisle," I told him, not being able to stop myself. His face broke into a huge grin and nodded encouragingly for me to go on. Was he really going to make me say this out loud?

"How does she make you feel?" He hedged, trying to get it out of me. He wouldn't stop until I did so I sighed, defeated. I looked up from the floor to directly in his eyes. "Bella makes. . ." I hesitated. This was damn hard to say in front of my parents. "She makes-. . ." I sighed and gave up. "She makes me want to be. . .different."

If I thought Carlisle's smile was big before, it became impossibly bigger. The main emotion his face was showing how pleased he was. He knew about my history with women, and all the things I had done that I was so ashamed of. He also knew about the darker times my past had held. Fortunately, through that period of my life, we was very supportive- more than I deserved. This must've been a sign that I had moved beyond those times. I thought about that for a moment, and realized it was true. It _felt_ true. I didn't want to go and make-out with a random girl everyday, just because I felt like it. I was done with that shit.

After thinking that, and realizing how true it was, it felt like I had just dropped a heavy burden off of my shoulders. I felt light, and surprisingly good. Carlisle knew me so well, he knew exactly what I was thinking. Esme caught on after a while too, and her smile got just as big as the both of ours.

I felt like hugging someone. Dammit, where was Alice when I needed her? I finally figured out what I had been trying to figure out for the past week: It was obvious that my life was going nowhere before Bella came into it. She made me want to be someone though. Bella made me want to be a better person. Yeah, definitely a hugging moment. The only problem was, that the one person I wanted to hug wasn't here. . .

"Well, then she's worth fighting for," A tug of a smile played across the side of Carlisle's mouth. Wait a sec, didn't I just say we were _friends_? God, I knew they were getting the wrong idea now.

"No, dad, it's not like that," I clarified seriously, shaking my head. Esme stifled a chuckle.

He nodded, knowingly. What did he know? "She's just a good friend." I repeated, again, maybe a bit too forcefully. There was Esme's little cough/really-a-fucking-laugh again. It took everything I had not to glare at my own mother.

"Son," He got up and patted me on the shoulder, "That's not what it looked like to everyone else." I stared at him, puzzled. He continued, "Like I said, I wish you could see yourself around this girl," Esme nodded in agreement. "We all noticed it. The whole dinner, you had the most kind-hearted face towards her that any of us had ever seen from you ever, and you looked so protective of her. Most importantly, the adoration in your eyes was incredibly strong."

_I feel very protective of you_, I remembered my exact words I had said earlier today, and realized that all of my father's observations were true. I didn't know how to tell both of them that they were taking this whole thing the wrong way though.

"I do," I admitted quietly, "But still, we're friends. I like her a lot, but as a friend." I stated, clarifying for a third time. Carlisle nodded doubtfully, and before he could say anything, Esme cut in.

"Honey," She took my hand and squeezed it. This was getting beyond too weird for me. "I probably know you better than yourself," She probably didn't, but I let her go on. "And what we all saw in your eyes tonight was more than mere friendship. I can see that you two share a bond that's strong, even after just meeting each other. I think it's a rare thing, what you two have come across, but it's completely special." I tried my best not to doubt my mother. She probably did know what she was talking about; Esme was a therapist who specialized in relationships, and so I agreed with her up to a point. She was definitely right about the connection me and Bella had, because that was for sure there, but I wasn't exactly sure what all the other stuff she said was about.

"I think what your mom's trying to saying," Carlisle paused and sighed. "We know that you haven't had the most charming past with women, and what you may or may not have done," Damn, he was good. I had felt so damn disgusted with my past. "But, we just want you to be careful with Bella."

I knew what he was saying, and I knew that I'd comply to it. Whether Bella and I were friends, or something more, I wasn't sure. What I was sure about, was the way I'd be treating her. No more bullshit, _that_ was for sure.

"I understand," I told them both, assuringly. This night had turned exhausting, and I was ready to crash pretty soon. "And I'll try to figure out where I stand with Bella, because right now. . .I have no idea."

Esme smiled, "You'll know it soon, Edward, I know you will. When your heart's ready for your mind to know, that'll be when you know. Just remember, everything happens for a reason, sweetheart. Let anything that is suppose to happen, happen. Don't get in the way of fate." It's like she was quoting out of one of her fucking couple's books. Hell, she probably was. I was so damn confused by now, I knew I'd definitely need to get some sleep soon. I had to believe her a little bit though, she did see hundreds of troubled couples a month.

They both dismissed me, and I told them I'd be going to bed early. They said their goodnight's and I headed up the stairs to my room. I quickly stripped out of my shirt and threw on a new pair of boxers. Once I got in to my bed and closed my eyes, I realized suddenly that Esme may have been right, and that I was in fact, one hundred percent, _falling for Bella_. I had never been so scared, or confused in my life. From this point on, I knew that my actions would be a complete mystery to me, and that I'd be need extra careful at how I was to proceed this situation. I wasn't sure if I knew how either. I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter, and eventually let sleep take me, being lulled to sleep by the pounding raindrops against my window. I heard a crack of thunder and my room lit up with a flash of lightening. I smiled to myself. I wondered if Bella was watching the storm too, knowing that I was thinking about her.

I groaned and pressed my head even deeper into my pillow when I heard loud banging on the outside of my door. God, what was it, like 6:00? I glanced at my alarm clock which was now flashing **5:51**_**. **_Even better. I cursed under my breath and shut my eyes tighter, ignoring the pounding.

"Ed-waaaaaard!" Emmett's voice yelled from the other side of the door. I moaned even louder this time, of course it was Em waking me up this early. It had better have damn-well been something pretty import, otherwise I was pretty fucking close to kicking his early-bird ass.

"What the hell do you want, Em?" My voiced sounded pathetically groggy and weak from the lack of sleep I had gotten last night. I had been tossing and turning the whole night, and was completely restless. At this point, I was seriously thinking about calling Bella up and see if she wanted to skip school today. I wouldn't have done that to her though, she had too good of a record for that, I was guessing.

"Oh, stop acting like you don't love me." I heard him yell back sarcastically, and could tell that he was smirking. "Show some love- I brought you some damn breakfast even." I chuckled sleepily and sat up in my bed. I was still so tired, I fell right back into my pillows.

I thought about it for a second. Sleepy Edward got the better of me and I called back to him, a little bit more alert and loud this time. "Come back in an hour or two, Em." I'm sure I could just stick the waffles or whatever in the microwave. They'd still be good, I told my self. But man, was I hungry.

There was another long pause of silence from outside the hallway, and I could still tell Emmett was there. I sighed and rubbed my palm over my eyes. "Just get your ass in here already."

Before I could even blink, he came bursting through the door with sure enough, a plateful of home-cooked waffles. The smell of the warm pastries filling the room helped me wake up a little more as Emmett plopped down on my bed. He handed me the plate with a huge grin on his face. I cut off a forkful and was about to stuff it in my face when he added, "Made 'em myself." I brought the fork back from my face and grimaced, jokingly. He punched me in the shoulder, a little too hard, but I took the bite anyways. I may have had my doubts about Emmett in the past, but damn, the boy could cook.

"What's all this about?" I asked him, suspiciously putting another bite of waffle my mouth. I didn't really care, but I sort of felt like I was the mom getting breakfast in bed on fucking mother's day. Pretty weird.

"Oh, nothing." He told me, gazing at my wall. "Just thought it'd be nice to talk to you. We don't talk that much anymore, you know?" I could tell when he had said it, that he sounded a little hurt, though he tried not to show it. I just stared at him, wishing I'd been a better brother to him after all these years. Everyone in this family had always been way nicer than I'd ever deserved. I thought it was about time I'd start pulling my own wagon around here.

I would have protested and said something like _Why the early hours, we could have talked later, right?_, but I decided that I owed him more than that. I owed him better. I nodded for him to continue, "Talk," I told him, as politely as I could.

"Well, I was kinda wondering about Bella," He started, awkwardly. "I mean, we _all_ were." Boy, was this girl sure the topic starter for all conversations lately, or what? I really didn't want to do this right now, especially not while I was so confused, and sleepy on top of it.

I swallowed my mouthful and shrugged my shoulders. "Why does it matter to everyone?" I didn't mean to sound like such an ass, but I couldn't help it. All this intervention shit was getting annoying.

He looked a little taken aback, but continued. "Well man, it's just that you've been acting different lately. . ." He paused, "Yet you're still the same. The same Edward, just different." He repeated, nervously. I looked at him questioningly. "I mean, a good different, definitely, I just wanted to know why the sudden change."

I honestly had no clue as to how I was to respond to that. I didn't even realize that I had changed at all, at least, not appearance wise. I mean, I was sure as hell giving more thought to things- important things. I was also questioning myself a lot more than I ever normally would, but other than that, I didn't feel different. _That _different, at least.

"How so?" I asked, still confused.

It seemed like he didn't know what he was going to say either. "Well, it's hard to explain. . ." He began, hesitantly. "I wish you could see how you acted around her all last night. Oh, and at school whenever you two are together."

Why the hell did everyone keep saying that? "Why does everyone keep telling me that?" I asked, annoyed. It was getting old. It was like everyone was putting a million pieced puzzle in front of me, and saying _Okay Eddie, now we want you to figure this one out by your self. We know you'll be able to put it together, so just go ahead and put it together now, even though it's impossible_. That's pretty much how it sounded to me.

"Well, because it's true," He told me, suddenly becoming a little more serious then before. "If you saw the way you have been acting lately, you'd know." I gave him a look, telling him to explain some more. "Well for starters, before we moved here, you had such a bad mouth, it'd make any sailor blush. You still do really, but it's improving, trust me. You're getting more to around my level, actually. Secondly, you've never treated women with respect, deny it if you wish, and all of a sudden you're pulling out chairs and opening doors? Thirdly, you're actually having real conversations with the rest of us."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I kept the angry facade up, but secretly on the inside, I felt sorry for the way that I had been acting. I hadn't realized I was such a spoiled brat until someone actually told me to my face. "Maybe I just wanted to start over in a new town." Even I could hear the lie in my own voice. Shit, why was I such a sucker for those damn waffles in the first place? Now I had to deal with all the consequences.

His eyes all of a sudden narrowed right back at me. "Bullshit. You know what? Maybe you haven't even changed at all. Maybe that was all of us just getting our hopes up. Why can't you grow up and stop living in the fourth grade, man?"

I just glared at him, not knowing what to say. I must've really struck a nerve to have Emmett this pissed. Normally, he was so carefree, you'd rarely hear him yell. Not now though. I knew that I was being bad when I had Emmett yelling at me, on my bed, at 6 in the morning.

"Why can't you just admit that you might have a little crush on Bella?" His words surprised me. I already admitted to myself that it might have been a slight possibility, but I hadn't given it enough thought yet. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong? No one's judging you. In fact, we all _love_ Bella. You know why? Because she already seems like part of the family to us. Weird, huh? It just seems like she's the one. She's different. We like her." His voice was bitter as he chuckled humorously. "We really thought that maybe, just once, you may have found a girl you actually would care about. Clearly, we were wrong though." There was so much disappoint in my brother's voice, it killed me. I didn't know how I was all of a sudden causing my family so much pain. It was like they had all been getting together and having little tea parties, discussing the status of my relationship. I didn't like it, but tried not to let it bug me for now. I had too much on my mind as it was.

"Clearly you all were," I nodded curtly, regretting it as soon as the words had left my mouth. Emmett just shook his head disgustedly, and got off the bed and headed for the door. And then it clicked. Just like I had needed him to actually say the words out loud to get me to know what an asshole I was, he had gotten me to realize that I was starting to develop real feelings for Bella. It wasn't anything serious though, definitely not like that yet or anything. Just like Emmett had put it. A crush. . .Maybe?

"Em, wait," I pleaded before he turned the knob. "I just. . ." I sighed in defeat. "I don't know what to do." With that, I shook my head and put both my hands over my face and then ran them through my messy hair stressfully.. I really didn't know what I was going to do. What I was entering, I knew, were some dangerous waters.

Emmett's lips twitched into the slightest smile as he turned around and slowly started walking back to my bed. He sat down on the end of it, and turned to nod at me, pleased. He understood.

"Well my brother, I think I can help you with that." He grinned, and in that moment, I trusted that he knew what he was talking about. He had been with Rose for over the past four years. Never in my life would I have thought about coming to Em with relationship shit, but I guess now was the time.

He wasn't going to let me have it easy though. He turned to me questioningly. "Edward, what are you going to do?" He asked, eyes wide with curiosity and concern.

I had always thought that I was right, and that I had an answer for everything, no matter what. Edward knows best. It had always been my motto. But, it was in that moment, that I realized I had never been more lost in my life. I didn't have the answers, I didn't know what to do, and most importantly, I was scared shitless for what was to come.

**-sighs- Awwwww.  
That was probably the most fun writing a chapter I've had in a long time.  
So, don't worry, it's not love YET. I've told you all many times, I'm not trying to rush anything.  
At least you can take a breath of relief now that Edward actually has feelings for her.**

**Since I know I'm gonna get this in a bunch of reviews/PM's,  
No, this chapter was NOT Edward's past. I keep saying over and over that it'll be coming soon, so trust me on that, because it will.**

**Another thing, this chapter might seem just a little bit shorter than the others, and that's only because I already had put so much stuff into it, I really had no intentions to over-load it with anymore. My motto: Less is More! (Hah, not really, but trust me, I think you all were able to live with it, right?)**

**Alright, let's get 150+ reviews this week!  
I'd probably die of happiness, no lie...  
And then come back from the dead of course, to finish writing Face Down.  
I think you all have officially pledged me to this story.  
All I hope is that I won't let you down with what's to come!  
(Damn, do I ALWAYS type out this long of A/N's?)**

_**Reviews are better than waffles from Emmett at six in the morning!(:**_


	8. Breathe Me: Sia

**I'm going to keep this A/N short and sweet because I've just went back and read through my previous ones, and woah, no one told me I rambled _that_ much!  
Anyways, to the point, I felt like putting this chappie up a bit early because you guys are just awesome like that.  
Yeah, 150+ reviews, NICE(:  
I gotta admit, that really made me pretty damn happy.  
Also, since it's almost summer, I'll probably be updating more frequently than usual.  
Summer = Justine's writing time.**

**This chapter's song is _Breathe Me – Sia_  
The reason why I chose this song for this chapter is because I just think it fits how Bella feels so well, and it really is a beautiful song. Not many people know it, so just consider me broadening your music horizons. XD  
--Check out my website (link's on profile) to hear this song--**

**Yeah, so pretty sure I'd love some reviews.  
A lot of them would be nice(:**

**--Justine**

* * *

**BPOV**

Surely enough, the house was vacant as I stepped inside, just as Charlie had promised. A part of me was expecting him to just pop out behind the couch and yell _Just Kidding, _but he really wasn't here. And he wouldn't be here until after I was sound asleep, I reminded myself.

That thought alone had caused me to smile unconditionally. My ridiculous smile got bigger and bigger while I replayed the events of tonight over in my head. The hand holding, the hug, the talking. My smile faltered after I took all of two seconds to realize what these events were leading up to. What they were making me do.

I was hoping, and I was letting my guard down. That wasn't something I had done in a long time. I was hoping, and when I hoped, that was never a good thing. I knew I was getting myself into something that would be hard to get out of, and each time I told myself it would stop, it just got worse and worse.

Worse as in, whenever I would close my eyes, there'd be brilliant flashes of green emerald and bronze. Worse as in, I was beginning to gain confidence that would surely end up crushing me in the end. Worse as in, I couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his arms around me, holding me tightly to him. Never in my life had I felt so safe, and that's why this all had to stop.

It needed to stop, and yet, there was a part of me, I wasn't sure how big, that didn't want this to stop. I wanted to be walked to class everyday with Edward's hand around mine. I wanted him to drive me to school whenever he offered, even though it was impractical and too much. I wanted to tell him everything.

It was a foreign want, and I had banned it from even crossing my mind. Until now. What if I did tell Edward? How would he react? What would he do? I know he'd hate me, like he should. It was clear that I didn't deserve a place in this world. I had always known that, and so here I was hoping.

It's not that I didn't like Edward, because I did. Really did. Did as in, way more than I probably should. It's just the way he made me felt. No ever makes me feel the way he does when he's around. And I wasn't talking about romantic, mushy crap either. I was talking about the feeling of security. The feeling that I had _someone_ who cared. I had always told myself that no one cared, and when I met Edward, I had told myself the same thing: _He doesn't care_. But now, now I felt like I had been proven wrong. Not that I was always right, it was just how surprised I was at would I had failed to prove.

Edward _did_ care. I knew he did. I didn't know how I knew, but I did. In his eyes maybe, there was something there that I saw. I wasn't sure what it was, but whether it was knowing, or protection, I knew he cared.

That alone brought me to my ultimate high. I smiled to myself and walked over to Charlie's recliner in the living room, and not even he could have brought me down in that moment. I closed my eyes and sighed as I leaned my head against the back of it, humming random nothings.

I hadn't realized I had drifted to sleep until I heard the noise of our squeaky garage door opening. I glanced at the clock which read that it was quarter past one. I had been asleep for a while. I tried not to panic as I flew off the recliner and up to my room as quietly, and quickly as possible. Unfortunately, my body had other plans. I tripped three times on my way up the stairs, cursing under my breath at the soreness radiating through my limbs.

I got in my room and quietly shut the door right when I heard a muffled slam from the front door downstairs. I waited until my adrenaline breathing to slow down before I quietly changed into some more comfortable clothes to sleep. As soundlessly as I could, I crawled into bed and under my covers, reminding myself with a smile that Charlie wouldn't be laying a hand on me tonight. I fell asleep to the sound of thunder booming outside, and the quiet _thud, thud, thud_ of raindrops falling on the roof. In that moment, I felt like I could face the world.

I was brought back to reality by the high-pitched screeching of my alarm. I took a mental note to remind myself to run that thing over with my truck and buy a new one soon.

I sat up in my bed and stretched, something I did every morning. Something was different about it this morning though. I pulled my arms behind my back a second time and paused. That action alone normally would make me fight back tears. Right now, I could only feel a slight tugging pain, but it was manageable. A triumphant smile spread across my face.

I got dressed and ready this morning with a little more enthusiasm than normal. That enthusiasm just grew bigger once I remembered who was picking me up this morning. Then, just like it had came, it had gone.

All of the enthusiasm I may have had before, suddenly inflated out of me when my eyes met Charlie's. There was no reassurance in them at all that told me this morning would be a good morning. I internally cursed myself for being all high-spirits this morning. It was just another point to prove at how my hopes would kill me in the end.

"You seem happy this morning," Charlie hedged, suspiciously. I avoided eye contact as I slid by him and headed straight for the pantry. I decided I'd make him pancakes, since the last two days had been eggs and cereal. I grabbed the mix and made myself present once again in the kitchen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that he was still staring, waiting for a response. "Well, it's Friday." I had never been a fan of Fridays because that left me to a two day straight period with Charlie. I didn't think about that when I responded though. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I didn't think you liked Fridays," He hinted, a faint, evil smirk playing across his face. I had to lie much better than this in order for my morning to stay sort of perfect.

"Well, I sort of have plans tonight," It wasn't a lie. Alice had mentioned something about bringing me along to a movie with her, Jasper, Emmett, Edward, and Rose. It just wasn't official yet. I didn't let the unsureness in my voice show though, as I flipped the first pancake onto his plate. I handed him the syrup and poured out some more batter for a second one. Just like the eggs, Charlie sure did enjoy his pancakes.

He snorted. "You?" He asked unbelievably. "Plans? With who?" His voice sounded shocked, but it was only to be expected. At least he wasn't hitting me yet. I decided to use this new method I had just discovered. Ahh, the beauty of stalling.

"The Cullen's." I told him casually, doing my best to play it off like it was no big deal.

He took a big jug of his orange juice as he started choking on his food from laughing. As hurtful as his laughter was, I almost had to hold back a little of my own. He sounded like a cow giving birth. An obese cow, that was. "You mean that new family that just moved into down?" He asked, clearing his throat once again, only to start chuckling some more.

I nodded, biting my lip. He knew them?

"Alright, fair enough. Now what are you doing with 'said friends'?" He asked jokingly, thinking I was making all of this up as I went a long. His attempt at using air quotes correctly had failed miserably. It just looked like his fingers were trying to do aerobics of their own.

"Just a movie." I told him, not wanting to give him any more details. Alice had also said something about dinner afterwards as well, but I felt the need to leave that out. I didn't even know why I was telling Charlie all of this in the first place.

He stared at me skeptically while taking another bite of his pancake. Why was he even still here? Normally he was out the door by now. I kept taking quick peeks at the clock. The minutes kept creeping by, and I realized Edward would be here soon. Oh no.

"I took today off," He answered my unspoken question, noticing my glances at the time. I tried to keep the disgust off of my face from his answer. He normally only took off work when he would get really wasted the night before. His hangover must've been pretty bad this morning. Good, I thought smugly, that's what you deserve.

"Big night?" I asked sourly, not regretting my words. He could go ahead and do whatever the hell he wanted with me. I was just so sick of his behavior. His head snapped up and his eyes glared at me.

"Now, I don't think that's any of your damn business, is it?" He almost growled. I remained unshattered as I flipped his third pancake. I wasn't going to let him get to me before I had to leave. That'd only make it worse to be around Edward. He always could tell when something was wrong, and so that'd bring on a round of unnecessary questions. Questions with answers I wasn't sure I could hide much longer from him.

"Sorry," I muttered sarcastically, under my breath. He heard, and was about to get up when I heard the sound of a knock on the door. An uncontrollable grin spread across my face as I quick threw on my shoes and slung my backpack over my shoulder, leaving Charlie's stunned face behind.

I opened up the door to see Edward standing there smiling warmly at me. I smiled back at him with as much happiness as I could, with a little worry probably seeping through my expression. I was afraid of what would happen when I got home tonight. Words probably wouldn't be able to describe how bad I'd have it. Maybe I'd need to make it a late night, I thought slyly. All of my confidence from last night was coming back to me slowly, bust still coming.

"Morning Bells," Edward grinned, holding out his hand. I wasn't surprised when he did anymore, because it had began to seem like such a normal thing to us. That still didn't keep me from getting butterflies in my stomach whenever our hands would finally meet. A gave him a small grin back as we walked out to his car.

Once we got in, he began to fiddle with the heat settings. It was actually a little cold today, and I was wearing the new shirt Alice had boughten me a few days previous. I wasn't use to not having to cover myself up, but I guess today seemed like as good a day as any to began trying new things. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but feel a little self conscious of what I was wearing. This was the light blue button down she had gotten me, and trust me, _it buttoned down_. There was a little more cleavage than I would have liked there to be, popping out of my shirt. I kept telling myself it was still totally modest compared to what a lot of the girls wore at my school.

I decided that the next time I wanted to try something new, I'd check the weather first. I shivered slightly, and it didn't escape Edward's notice. He gave me a concerned sideways glance as I sat there, rubbing my arms.

"Cold?" He asked. Even though the shirt was long sleeved, the fabric was thin. I felt bad about being so needy, but I nodded anyways. Before I knew it, he was shrugging out of the jacket he was wearing. It was a _Nike _sports jacket, and it was about three times my size. He handed it to me with a caring smile. "Here, this should help."

I couldn't refuse that crooked smile he was giving me now, and I think he knew it. I also couldn't resist the warmth, or just the kind gesture he was making in general. It was something that was completely new to me. "Thanks," I told him sincerely as I slid my arms through the sleeves. They were way to long, so I ended up having to roll them up quite a ways. It was big and baggy on me, but I zipped it up anyways.

Once it was on, I sank into my seat and couldn't help but drown in his scent radiating off the jacket I now had on. I took a few deep inhales without him noticing before he glanced over at me and chuckled.

"That bad?" I asked jokingly, still secretly concerned about how horrible I must've looked.

He shook his head quickly and stole another glance at me, this time flashing all of his teeth with a smile. "No no, it's not that," He assured me right away. "It's just that. . ." He paused, was that embarrassment I heard in his voice? "You look better in my clothes than I do."

I could feel my face getting hot as the blush creeped onto it. I remembered that one time, Edward telling me I was beautiful. I didn't think he was actually serious, at first, and remember just thinking he was joking. The way he said it now though to me, was soundless of any joking.

I couldn't help but act like the silly, little, self-conscious girl I was. "Really?" I squeaked a whisper, sounding unsure that he really meant it. This time, he didn't just shoot me a glance, he stared directly into my eyes, melting them into nothing. Melting _me_ into nothing.

"Bella," He said, very intensively, no traces of humor or sarcasm at all. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He told me, with what sounded like all the honesty in the world. And with that, I knew he meant it.

The rest of the drive to school was pretty quiet. We didn't need to talk though, the silence was comfortable. Only the casual little side conversations here and there. It was almost as if Edward seemed. . .nervous? He just seemed like he was a little off today. Not in a bad way or anything. . .just off.

When we pulled into the parking lot, he parked us right next to his sister's yellow Porsche that was now getting a lot of attention from the male population. Alice was soaking in the attention as she grinned hugely while talking to Jazz. Her grin got huger as she waved excitedly while Edward helped me out. I didn't protest, because it was nice to be taken care of for a change.

"Bella!" She squealed while pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back sweetly and smiled in Jasper's direction. He nodded and smiled back, always the quiet one. Maybe that was why I liked Jasper so much.

"How are you, Alice?" I asked laughing as she released me and gave me a quick once over, staring for a long moment at Edward's jacket that was on me. She just shook her head and smiled at me, and did the same with Edward. Things were getting a little. . .weird.

"I'm great," She sang, twirling around once. It was obvious that she was a dancer. She had the natural grace that any girl would work years and years for to achieve, and she didn't even try.

"That's good," I told her happily, subtly looking around for the rest of the Cullen's. Apparently not too subtly because Edward noticed.

"There skipping today," He told me, referring to Rose and Emmett. "They like to have some of their own alone time sometimes." He pretended to gag. I giggled.

"Skipping already?" I asked surprised. "This is like, your guys' first week, isn't it?" I teased.

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one skipping," He laughed. "Take that one up with Rosalie, it was her idea. Emmett's just a sucker for anything she wants to do, so you can't really blame the guy too much." I heard Alice and Jasper's silent chuckles.

We all began to make our way to the building. Edward reached out to take my hand and Alice gave him a suspicious look as I slid mine into his. I avoided her stare, knowing there'd be questions to come later. To Alice, everything always meant something.

"Oh, Bella," Alice asked, snapping out of the conversation she was just having with Jasper. "You're still on for the movie and dinner tonight with us, right?" I nodded eagerly before she could ask me twice. Anything was better than being in a house alone with Charlie. Especially since him and I weren't exactly on the right foot with each other currently. Plus, I just wanted to be with the Cullen's. I wanted to be with Edward. Most importantly, I wanted to know _why_ I wanted all of these things.

"Awesome," She grinned cheerfully. "Since Edward drove you here," She quick shot Edward a glance and rolled her eyes, "He can just drive you to our place afterwards. Kay?"

I nodded at her again, pleased with the progress her and I were making as friends. Pleased with the progress I was making at actually having a real social life, actually.

Once we were inside, I pulled off Edward's jacket and handed it back to him. It looked like he wanted to say something, or protest, but Alice gasped and squealed, clapping her tiny hands together loudly. "Bella, you're wearing the shirt I picked out for you! I knew that'd color would look just right on your skin. Oh, you look perfect!" She turned and tugged on Edward's shirt. "Doesn't she look just perfect, Edward?" He rolled his eyes at her but sent a smile in my direction.

"Yes Alice, I've already told her," He didn't break his gaze from mine as he said it, so I blushed and quickly looked away, still keeping my hold on his hand though. He gave it a small playful squeeze before releasing it. "Well, I guess we should all head off to class." His attempt at fake enthusiasm was horrible. I wondered what class he had.

"Yeah," I said quietly, "Off to social." I couldn't hide the disappointment from my face. I hated that class. I hated the _people_ in that class. Ever sine I had began hanging out with the Cullen's, Vicky, Jess, and Lauren had all been acting extra bitchy to me lately. Not actually to my face yet though, the rumors had just been getting worse. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I was confronted. I wondered if that time would be today.

Alice had already skipped off with Jasper, but Edward still stood at my side. He noticed my hesitation. "Hey, it'll be okay." He told me soothingly, gently stroking my face. It was sort of his thing. It was definitely a thing I _didn't_ mind.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Sure it will." I think I was mainly trying to convince myself that. He looked like he was thinking? I could never tell what it was with Edward. He'd seem happy one moment, then the next he'd be pounding on lockers.

"I'll see you at lunch?" He finally asked, my favorite crooked smile playing across his face. I knew it'd only be a matter of days before I started dreaming about that face. I was such a twelve year-old girl.

"At lunch," I told him, turning away and heading for the social room.

**EPOV**

I watched after her as she walked away. This girl would be the death of me someday, and I knew it. I shook my head and turned to head towards my class. So far, the day had been playing out just fine. I was taking the advice Emmett had given me, and was acting totally normal. He told me not to try anything weird, and to just act myself. Act like the _good_ Edward. I didn't even know what the hell that meant, but I smiled and nodded when he told me.

My plan: Do what I do, and just let the chips fall where they may. Sounded easy enough. _You'd think_, I reminded myself. I knew I wasn't going to get off the hook just so easy, and I'd have to work for what I wanted. Right now, all I wanted was for Bella to be happy. I wanted her to walk around the school with the confidence that should have been radiating off her. I wanted her to be able to trust me with what ever she wasn't telling me currently. I just wanted her to finally be happy. I was starting to think I was wanting impossible things.

Last night at my house, she had been the happiest I had ever seen her. Sure, she wasn't full out laughing and grinning, but given a couple more hours, she might have been. Maybe she would on our "family date" tonight. That's what Alice had been calling it. I don't think Bella would have been comfortable if she heard that was what it was. I didn't even think that _was_ what it was. It was just all of us hanging out. No biggy.

Astronomy couldn't have gone by any slower. I was literally watching that damn clock the whole time. The _whole _fucking class. And then I had to sit through Geography. That may have been even worse. I sat next to this girl name Jessica. She may have been dumber than a post. Not to insult the post or anything. It was constant question after question, and she also had been shamelessly flirting with me the whole time. I was about ready to kick her tiny, little, anorexic ass out of this country after it was all said and done.

So when lunch _finally_ rolled around, to say I was a little anxious would have been the biggest understatement of the century. I was almost running to that cafeteria. And it _wasn't_ because of what today's lunch was. I was turning the corner of the last hallway to get there, when I heard a familiar voice.

I peaked my head around the corner to see Bella and the red-head talking. No, arguing. Bella looked scared out of her shoes. I quickly got closer without being noticed by either girl. I wanted to know what this Victoria was saying to make Bella look so upset.

"Listen here you little slut," She sneered in Bella's face. That one comment had me balling both my fists up. It took a lot of self-restraint to keep myself in that spot. "Stay the hell away from him. He's mine."

I felt sick to my stomach. I almost wanted to run to the bathroom and puke. She was talking about _me_. I wondered curiously what Bella's response would be.

"I thought you were dating James," Her voice was weak and shaking. She shouldn't have been intimidated by this girl. I mean, the worst case scenario probably would have been Victoria trying to throw a punch and stopping midway to say something about how she couldn't ruin her manicure. Bella could take it.

Victoria's high-pitched laugh gave me a headache. Great, now I had a stomachache and a fucking headache from this girl. I took a note on my mental list to avoid this crazy bitch. "We broke up like last week! What do you, like, live under a rock?" I saw Bella just staring back at her. Her tiny figure almost trembling. I wanted to yell something encouraging to her, telling her she was way better than that, and that she shouldn't be taking this shit. "Point is," Victoria went on, snapping her obnoxious bubble gum right in Bella's face. "Stay away from Edward Cullen."

"How are you going to stop me?" Bella shot right back at her. I wanted to give her a round of applause for that one. Her confidence that she always hid was finally beginning to shine through. All I hoped is that it would last through all of this.

"What?" Red-Head's face was shocked. She wasn't expecting that. I could tell that she clearly felt like she was the one in power here. "Excuse me? I don't think you understand."

Bella rolled her eyes and I snorted quietly. "No, I think I _do_ understand." I sighed quietly and rolled my eyes as well. Always the stubborn one, she was.

"Who do you think you are?" Red-Head's face was now beyond that of disbelief. She was fucking furious. I was scared _for _Bella. "Let's get one thing straight Bitch-ella," Oh, clever. What was she, like, four? Come up with that in second grade now did you, Victoria? I wanted to yell. "This is _my_ school. Here, you play by _my_ rules. I don't care what or who you think you are, but all that's important is that you will listen to me. You will stop holding hands with my boyfriend in the hallways for whatever damn reason you always are, you will stop talking to him, and you won't even look at him. In fact, don't even _think_ about him. Understand?" Now it was my turned to be shocked. Who did this chick think she was? I wasn't her boyfriend, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let Bella listen to her. I'd do whatever I fucking wanted. I'd hold Bella's hand all day/everyday if I wanted, and I _wasn't_ about to let this Victoria tell poor Bells what she could and couldn't do. I'd let Bella know that.

"No." I wasn't sure if I even heard Bella's voice at first. It was barely a whisper. Victoria raised an eyebrow at her. "No." Bella repeated, louder and full of more strength this time. She had guts to have the nerve to say something like that after the little rant that Red-Head just went on about. I was so proud of her.

I was getting a few strange looks by some of the people who were making their ways to lunch. I just ignored them though, and they left me alone. "Are you fucking insane?" Victoria hissed, only less than half a foot away from Bella's face. "Let me tell you something. Let me tell you the truth. _No one_ likes you. _No one_ ever will like you. _You_ will never be loved. You're just a little girl who can't seem to find her place in this world. In case you haven't noticed, if you haven't found your place yet, you _never _will. Ever think that maybe there's a reason you haven't? Yeah, it's because you don't belong here. You should just do yourself the better thing, and leave. No one wants you here. No one ever did, and no one ever will." And just because apparently Victoria thought she was the shit or something, she blew one last bubble in Bella's face and walked away, having the nerve to say something like that her face, and just walking the fuck away. I was beyond stunned. I was speechless.

Bella's face was full of so much hurt, I could see a little bit of water forming in her eyes. Without even thinking twice about it, I ran to her. She looked up just in time for me to see her face as I crushed her to me. I embraced her as she silently let a few tears fall. Bella didn't like to show weakness though, so she quickly brushed them away with her sleeve. I continued to hug her, and kept her in my arms until I was sure she was okay.

She sniffled one last time and I let go. She looked up at me with big, sad eyes. She didn't deserve this. "Hold your head high gorgeous, people would _kill _to see you fall." I whispered in her ear, pulling her into one last hug. As I released her, I gave her one soft kiss on the forehead. No big deal, I told myself. She smiled a tiny, wary smile and I smiled back. I didn't want her to thank me though, because I was just being honest. It was the truth. I'd comfort her anytime she needed it, and I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I was considering just asking her if she wanted to skip, but she was brave enough to head straight into that lunchroom. I followed her lead as she pushed the doors open, and right before we both walked through them, I quick slipped her hand in mine. Both of us kept our faces straight ahead, but I had the satisfaction of catching a glimpse at Victoria's shocked face, now gapping like a fish at Bella and I. I couldn't help but let out a low chuckle as I smirked at her.

After we both had gotten our lunches and sat down, I squeezed Bella's hand lightly, letting her know that together, we could face anything. I nodded at the rest of family already seated, and got right to eating my lunch, keeping my hand locked to Bella's under the table the entire time. Alice subtly winked at me a couple of times and gave me about a million excited grins. I rolled my eyes. Jasper had no idea what was going on. I laughed quietly.

"Prick," Jasper muttered under his breath, annoyed.

"Takes one to know one," I mouthed back smugly. All of my anger and distress from pre-lunch dissolved. That always seemed to happen when I was around Bella. I never could be mad around her, at least not for long. I continued to trace small circles on her soft hand with my thumb. Her face remained the same red color throughout all of lunch. I didn't mind though. I liked it that way. Like I said, she was too fucking adorable for words. Adorably beautiful.

"Who is?" Alice asked suspiciously. Fuck, fuck, fuck- why the hell did I keep saying that out loud? And leave it to Alice to be the one person to hear me. No one else had noticed. At least not before Alice had to have brought it up. Well, I'd already told Bella how beautiful I thought she was twice today. . .a third time couldn't hurt, could it?

"Bella," I stated, unashamed. She shot me a quick little smile as her face got impossibly redder, really emphasizing her beauty even more. Al and Jazz just stared at me, shocked. Not because they didn't agree with me, which I'm sure they both did, just the fact that I was willing to share it with everyone. I would say it a million times over and over if it would get Bella to finally see it and realize that she was.

"Isn't she?" Alice beamed at Bella. Well, at least I wasn't the only one here who saw it. I nodded once again in agreement with Alice.

I was desperately trying to keep my eyes on my own plate and _away _from Bella's tight fitting shirt. Ignoring the way the soft fabric hugged each curve of her body perfectly. Ignoring the way that particular color of blue made Bella's skin look like cream and roses. Ignoring the slight, yet overwhelming amount of cleavage poking out. It was really quite modest actually, just not modest for Bella. I was always used to seeing her in baggy clothes all of the time. This was just a change. A _pleasant_ one. _Cut this shit out, pervert! _I thought in my head, internally kicking myself for regarding Bella like she was that of a piece of meat.

Alice kicked me from under the table so that I would look at her. I had been avoiding her gaze lately, afraid to see what she might have been showing in her eyes. I pretended I didn't feel anything. This time, she kicked harder.

"Dammit," I cursed under my breath. They all stared at me. I tried to cover up my sudden explosives with a cough, but wasn't successful. Alice just had a really _hard_ foot. I sighed in frustration before finally meeting the eager glance of my sister. She was good at reading people's eyes.

I'm not sure what she saw in mine, but whatever she did, must've been good. . .or bad? I couldn't tell. Jasper and Bella were completely oblivious to the silent conversation that Alice and I were having. She shot me a quick smile, and then nodded in the direction of Bella. I didn't know what she was trying to tell me. She raised both her eyebrows and sighed.

"Edward, dump your tray with me?" She asked in an annoyed tone. She must've thought I was being very slow today. I gave her a confused look, but stood up and picked up my tray. I had to release Bella's hand, and didn't feel all that great when I did so.

Once Alice and I had reached the trash bin across the lunch room, she pulled me out of the sight from other's. For such a little person, she sure had a hell of a lot of strength. I didn't know how she did it.

"Edward," She hissed, "Pay attention." I was staring off into space when she whacked me in the arm. I cringed and took a step back. Man, was she in a pissy mood today. Must have been PMS. I almost gagged. That was the _one_ thing about girls that I just couldn't handle. _Periods_. Them and their damn mood-swings that came along. It was just one of those many moments I was glad to be a guy.

"What Alice?" I asked irritatedly. "And do we need to throw in all this unnecessary violence?" I listened to myself sound like a huge pussy. Since when had I become a such a fucking pessimist. I shook my head and focused.

"You have been so out of it lately, I felt you deserved it." She said curtly, crossing her arms. "I think you and Bella should go on a separate date tonight." She told me, getting right to the point and boredly messing with her fingernails. I didn't even think it was a date in the first place.

"Uh, Alice," I asked warily, "Was it even a date to began with?"

The look she gave me told me that clearly it was, in fact, a date. Thanks for tellin' me, lil sis, I wanted to say, but didn't for fear of being hit again. This wasn't the time for smart-ass comments. But then again, with Alice, when _was _there ever a time?

"Edward, why the hell wouldn't it be a date?" She asked, obviously getting angrier at me by the second. "Look, I'm sorry I'm being so mean, I really am happy with you and Bella," I stopped her and was about to protest, "Emmett," She explained. Damn, I guess I couldn't trust anyone anymore. "Anyways," She continued, "I'm just so annoyed that it's taking you so long to actually do something about your feelings. I mean, seriously Ed?"

I decided to try and play it dumb. "What do you mean?" Oops, not a good idea. _Slap!_ Right across the face. Ouch, that stung like hell. Wouldn't be trying anything like that again. She glared at me until I apologized. I rubbed my stinging face gingerly.

"I'm sorry Alice, I'm just confused as to what I'm suppose to do from this point on," Her glare suddenly turned into a dazzling smile.

"So you do like Bella?" She clarified, slowly nodding excitedly. I nodded back, not quite so thrilled at the fact that apparently, everybody already knew about my so called 'crush'. "Edward, what the hell do you mean you _don't know what to do_?" She asked in disbelief. "You've gone out with so many girls, how can you _not know_?"

"Yeah Alice, I have," I told her, balling my fists up. I was past that, I reminded myself. No more one-night stands. "But for all the wrong reasons." I decided that I had nothing to lose by being truthful from this point on. "It's not the same with Bella. I feel different." God, how many people had I told that to by now?

She nodded and smiled knowingly. Well good, then I didn't have to stand there for the next ten minutes explaining myself. "Yes Edward, we can all see that. It's _so _obvious." She stated, rolling her eyes. "You'd have to be blind not to see it." Was she gonna to keep going?

"Gee, thanks sis, great pep-talk," I told her sarcastically.

"Shut up then, I wasn't done," She responded, tapping her foot and waiting for me to listen. Once she was sure I was, she continued. "I know you feel that way, which is _why_ you need to take her on a separate date. It'll do no good if you have all of us along." A mischievous smile played across her face as she said that. I shuddered slightly, not wanting to know or think of what she meant by it.

I didn't know if Bella was ready for me to take her out on a date, or if she even liked me just a little bit. The fear of rejection was strong, and it made me feel like a fucking coward.

"Al, I don't even know if she likes me though," I sighed. This had been the most I'd talked to her in a long time. It was exhausting, yet nice at the same time. A refreshing change. Funny how things worked.

"Edward," She stated, putting her arms on her hips. "Don't you think _I'd_ know? I'll let you in on a little secret, bro. Actually, you might want to brace yourself for this one first. Okay, ready? _I am a girl_." She smirked as I ruffled her hair. "So don't you think I'd be able to tell?" She asked, already knowing what my answer would be.

"Alright, then ask her, right after lunch," She told me, glancing towards the clock, "That's in. . .five minutes."

I started walking back to our table with Alice on my heels, whispering numerous things in my ear. "Don't make it sound like a big deal. Don't make yourself sound like a dumb-ass. Don't think about it so much." She continued to go on and on. I shook my head at her and shot her a menacing look as we sat back down. Both Bella and Jasper looked a little awkward. I had completely forgotten leaving Bella alone while I left to talk to Alice. Jasper was grinning slightly, a little nervously, but I figured everything was fine. I noticed they had both already gotten rid of their trays as well.

"Jazz?" Alice got all of their attention. "Let's get to class early this time. I don't want to be late again, alright?" Jasper stood up and snaked his arm around her tiny little waist as she practically skipped off. He looked back at me and quickly winked. Did _he_ know too? No, he couldn't have.

"So, what was that about?" Bella asked curiously as she fiddled with the remaining apple she held in her hand. I still had four minutes left. She seemed like she wasn't in any hurry.

"Alice being Alice," I sighed rolling my eyes. I did the best to hide all the nervousness in my voice. That was one of the things Alice had warned me about; Don't act nervous. Remember, it's not a big deal, she had told me.

"Listen, Bella," I told her, turning so that my entire body was facing her. I decided against taking her hand again, afraid of what her reaction was going to be, and ran it through my hair a couple of times. "You know how all of us were planning on dinner and a movie tonight?" I asked slowly, she nodded so I continued. "Well, I was thinking we could just do something by ourselves." I finished, gouging her expression. It remained the same, though.

"Like, me and you?" She asked, a little confused. I wondered what she was thinking.

I laughed and then smirked at her. "No, I was thinking we'd each just do something separately." Her face fell, not recognizing my sarcasm. I instantly back-tracked and regretted using humor as a way out.

"Oh, okay," She said quietly, sounding sad. I quickly took her hand and laughed again. "No Bella, I was kidding. Of course together!" Her sad face turned happy again. She even smiled a little bit.

"Really, you'd want to do that?" I couldn't help but hear some doubt in her voice. What, did she not think she was good enough for me or some shit like that? If anything, it was the other way around. Because I was most certainly _not_ better than her. Not at all.

"I really do." I smiled at her as sincerely as I could. "So how about it? What do you say, Bells? Just me and you." That sounded nice to say out loud. I eagerly waited for her response, gazing into her big brown eyes. I was having some difficulty reading them.  
"You mean like a date?" She asked carefully, biting her lip. I wondered if I had made the wrong move.  
"Only if you want it to be," I told her honestly, grinning to lighten things up.

"Well," She paused, almost seeming like she was fighting back a smile, ". . .I'd love to, Edward." She finally concluded. I secretly let out a slight sigh of relief, and hadn't realized that I had been holding my breath until then. She really said yes? Well, that sure as hell wasn't what I was expecting. Sure, I was _hoping_, but definitely not expecting. I smiled at her hugely, not helping but to look like a fucking idiot.

"I'll pick you up from your last class then," I told her triumphantly, not being able to keep the enthusiasm from my voice. "Does Port Angeles sound okay?" I did my best to play this whole thing off casual, like Alice had told me. "We could grab dinner, and just walk around and stuff."

She smiled and nodded again. I realized that my four minutes were up, and that we'd need to get to class before both being late again. Only one class left until the end of the day, I told myself. I could manage until then. I hoped.

When we parted our separate ways to head to our separate classes, I wanted nothing more than to embrace Bella. I didn't though. I figured I'd quit while I was ahead, and not try to push my luck any more than I already had. Holding hands was already more than I could as for, and I was still surprised that she always let me.

I sat through French, fidgeting in my seat the whole time. I probably looked like I had to piss in my pants or something, but everyone just ignored me with polite smiles. Good, I wasn't in the mood for any questions or shit. Finally, when class was over, I was the first out of the room and quickly made my way through the halls to Bella's Social class.

The door opened a moment after I had gotten there, and out walked a very glum looking Bella. Her mood changed the minute her eyes met mine. And then, it happened – She smiled. Not broken, fake, or forced. A real, genuine smile. All of the bitterness that her face usually held was gone. It was truly a real smile. And god, I wanted nothing more than to somehow make it stay there forever. It was so fucking beautiful.

As we walked to my car together, hand in hand, I couldn't stop the shit-eating grin from spreading across my face and staying there. I had finally gotten that smile. _My_ smile. It couldn't have gotten any better, and I prayed my luck for tonight would be just as good. I'd see that smile again, I promised myself as I opened her door and closed it, driving out of the parking lot and to the city. _On a date with Bella Swan_.

Finally seeing that fucking smile.  
Finally feeling like I had a purpose for once.

* * *

***let's out breath that I was holding*  
I know right- FINALLY.  
Poor Ed would've had a heart attack if anything else would have gone on that day. I mean, asking Bella out, getting beat up by Alice, AND seeing the smile. Yeah, poor guy. Can you say _overwhelmed_?**

**Now to answer a few questions that you'll probably have:**

**Q: Charlie let Bella off the hook?  
A: No, not exactly. He simply did not have enough time to get down to business, and Edward totally took him off guard. He though Bella was kidding about the whole 'having friends thing' I can assure you, all will not be pleasant in the next chapter...**

**Q: Edward loves Bella?  
A: Nope. Not yet. It's impossible to fall in love with someone that quick. Just in case you hadn't heard carefully enough, Edward _likes_ Bella. A lot. Doesn't mean love or anything, so don't get too carried away yet.**

**Q: Are the Cullen's vampires?  
A: God, I swear I've answered this a million times, but for some people who might be a tad bit slow, NO the Cullen's are NOT vampires. They. Are. Humans. Kay?**

**Q: Edward's Past?  
A: All I'm gonna say is that it's coming.  
You. Will. Find. Out. Eventually!  
Alright? Just trust me on this.**

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**Alright, so you guys did such a kick-ass job on the reviews last time, why don't we get the count up some more. Do I hear 200+ (Hah, that's a lot, but wouldn't that be effing amazing if it happened?)  
**

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_Reviews are better than a pep-talk from Alice(:_


	9. Hear You Me: Jimmy Eat World

**Here's your eagerly awaited chapter.  
I needed to post it this early because I wouldn't have gotten a chance the rest of the weekend when I was originally going to do it. I'll be at my cabin for a while.  
So anyways, here it is.  
Reviews would be much appreciated(:**

This chapter's song is _**Hear You Me – Jimmy Eat World**_**  
First of all, I have to say that this is like one of my all-time favorite songs.  
It's so beautiful, and if you haven't listened to it yet, I strongly recommend it.  
(Listen to song my clicking to my profile and visiting Face Down's website)  
The reason I chose this song, well, you'll see why after you read this particular chapter.  
In a nutshell, it sort of goes along with the mood that Edward and Bella are sharing.  
Not gonna spoil anything, but if you have any questions; Feel free to ask & I'm always happy to respond.  
**

**BPOV**

I felt this safe sense of security being with Edward. It was an unusual feeling when it felt like I was being taken care of. Edward made me feel that way though. I loved him for it. I hated him for it. He had me so confused with my current feelings, I was afraid I would burst soon. It wasn't that I didn't have any faith in him to be a good person, because that was definitely not it; I was slowly starting to trust him more and more.

It was the fact that I was all of a sudden unsure of all the actions I'd take. I didn't know what Edward was to me. I didn't know how to act around him. It was all very confusing, and frankly, I was overwhelmed by it. And yet, I still liked it.

I had this theory that maybe I needed Edward more than I even knew it myself. After waking up day after day for years, looking for hope and only finding fear, I couldn't help but play this whole thing off cautiously. I wondered what would happen if I just completely let everything go and trusted him to lead me in the right path. I was seriously considering, before I remembered to factor Charlie into this situation.

I could tell already that Charlie was not too pleased about my new-found friendships. He wasn't going to care much for me being out of the house more than usual. That meant less sessions. That meant less fun for Charlie. The only consequences I could think of were the following: Spend more time with the Cullen's, less with Charlie, then have to endure less beatings, but they would definitely be _worse_ beatings. Or, my other option, go back to the shell-of-a-life I had before they came into it, which would mean the same thing I'd been dealing with my whole life.

Those were all things I'd have to factor in when deciding what my next move would be. For now, I decided I'd just kick it, and have fun like any normal teenage girl would on her first date. Well, I'd _try_ at least. That seemed to be when Edward liked me best. When he could tell I was having a good time. I wouldn't spoil this whole thing with my bad attitude and sadness. I'd be happy. Just for Edward.

So far, the whole ride had been silent. But it was a _nice_ silent. A comfortable one that indicated just having each in the other's presence was enough. It wasn't awkward or anything. Just nice.

It was like that the whole ride too– just nice side conversations, nothing that important. I wasn't sure whether he did it intentionally, or just without-knowing, but he always tended to avoided the deep, serious stuff. For that, I praised him.

About fifteen minutes out from our destination, he asked me what I felt like doing. "So Bells, the sky's the limit. What do you wanna do?" I rolled my eyes at him and playfully smirked. I was trying to decide what I wanted. Anything would really have been fine as long as it was with Edward, but I didn't want to tell him that. What I _wanted_ to do was to keep it simple and fun. I needed a change for once. I felt like I deserved a change.

"Let's get ice cream," I all of a sudden blurted out. "My mom used to take me to this one place. . ." I paused and studied his expression. It was a little confused, so I sighed, "Never mind, it's a stupid idea." I muttered.

His eyes popped wide open as he quickly shook his head. "No no, it's not. It's a great idea. Really, I haven't had ice cream in so long. Sorry, I've just been really easily distracted lately." He said, a little shyly. Distracted by what? I wanted to ask.

"Really? You want to?" I asked in a tiny voice.

He nodded. "Definitely." He stated, sounding confident and more sure this time.

"Okay, well, it's kind of in the middle of no where, so we might need to walk a little ways." I said, unsure if he'd be up for it after I told him that. I hadn't realized it until then, but I hadn't had ice cream in a long time either.

"Sounds good to me," He smiled crookedly before turning and parking along side of a curb in front of a tiny antique building. It would be a good mile or two walk, and I regretted not wearing tennis shoes. I think he saw my flimsy little flat-tops Alice had given me too, and he shot me an apologetic glance. I still wanted to go though, so I got out of that car and put my best game face on.

He waited for me at the other side of the car. As I made my way beside him, he took my hand and waited for me to lead the way. I pointed towards a little worn-down path across the street, and we crossed to the other side and started walking it.

Once we were finally out of sight from the road, I relaxed some more and let my shoulders become less tense. I didn't have to worry now. I was with Edward, and somehow I knew he would keep me safe. Huh, never thought I'd think that about someone before. I let out a surprised laugh.

"What?" Edward asked, chuckling slightly.

"Nothing," I smiled angelically at him. He smirked at me, but then abruptly stopped, stopping me with him. "Tell me," the mock danger in his voice was surprisingly funny. I giggled some more.

He glared playfully at me before he sat down right in the middle of the path, cross-legged. He crossed his arms also, and continued to attempt frowning at me. He was fighting a smile the whole time. "I'm not moving from this spot until you tell me." He hissed menacingly. By now, I hadn't stopped laughing and I was gripping my chest. It felt so good to finally let loose. I was never able to laugh, but now, now was different. It was different with Edward.

"Fine," I crossed my arms also and stuck my tongue out childishly at him. "I'll get ice cream by myself." I made it a big scene when I turned and pretended to start walking away.

He grimaced and shook his head. "Wrong move, Swan." He said in a low voice before suddenly taking my hand and pulling me so that I was sitting directly on top of his lap. He locked his arms around my waist so that I was now unable to move or go anywhere. Damn, he was good.

I squirmed and tried to get free, but my whole hundred and ten pound self was no match for his strong arms. They were nice arms, I admitted to myself. I had the urge to stroke my hands up and down them for some reason. What was I thinking?

"I don't think I made myself clear," He whispered darkly in my ear, jokingly. "_Neither_ of us are moving from this spot until you tell me." I pouted with my lip and moaned sadly. I couldn't help but smile too. This was sure a great feeling – Having fun.

"Well, I guess they'll be no ice cream for us then," I sighed, filling my voice with all kinds of disappointment. "And I was thinking–. . .Oh well, I guess not." I closed my eyes and leaned my head back so it was resting on his shoulder. His arms still carelessly wrapped around my waist. It felt nice to be held, even though I knew it wasn't the same. We were just messin' around together.

He didn't say anything for a while until he sighed in defeat, "What were you thinking?" He asked, the curiosity burning in his voice. Ah-hah, I got him. I couldn't help but smile smugly while keeping my eyes closed.

"Oh, it's not important anyways," I said innocently, using my new-found strategy to win this game. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore, now that we aren't going to be able to get any ice cream." I turned my smile into another puppy-dog pout, waiting for him to snap.

"I'll make a bargain with you," He began slowly, measuring his options and how he would proceed. "You tell me, and we'll get up and get some damn ice cream before the sun goes down." Got him. A huge, smug smile spread across my face once again as I nodded cheerfully.

He released his grip around me as I stood up and watched him grimace at me. "You're going to be the death of me Bella, I swear it." I smirked at him some more. This was fun. This time, he didn't take my hand, he wrapped his arm loosely around my waist. He stared at me hesitantly for a second before turning away and shaking his head. I think he was waiting to make sure I wasn't going to protest. I smiled at him. I wasn't going to; It felt _nice_.

"Well," I began, smiling slightly. "I was thinking that we could maybe share?" I paused. "They have _extra-large_." I grinned at him all big and goofy.

He raised an eyebrow. "One condition." He told me, "You better like Peanut Butter Swirl otherwise we're turning around right now, and you're walking home." I gasped in fake horror, and then beamed at him. That was my favorite flavor.

I nodded, "Deal." I told him, subconsciously moving just a little closer to his body. I don't think I had ever felt this comfortable in my whole life.

"Wait," He asked suddenly, "I get my own spoon right?" He joked with heavy sarcasm in his voice. I glared at him playfully before lightly punching his shoulder. He pretended to gasp out in pain. And then, I surprised myself by doing the unthinkable.

"You'll live." I leaned up on my tiptoes and pecked a small kiss right on his nose. His eyes widened immensely, so I was afraid I had done the wrong thing and instantly regretted my sudden burst of self-confidence before his face turned up into the biggest smile I had ever seen from him.

"I hope so," He whispered in my ear adoringly, then pulled me just the slightest bit closer. I had been getting more surprised by the minute at how this all was going. I had no idea that I was capable of feeling this way. I didn't know that I was able to have fun like this. I don't know, I guess after years and years of misery I just wasn't expecting it, that was for sure. And this new emotion, it crashed over me like a tidal wave. I didn't know what to call what I was feeling. I'd like to think it was good though?

We had gotten so close that I could now see it – _The Tip-Top Dairy Bar_. Memories of my mother taking me here swept through me. I didn't like to think of them as sad memories though, because they were among those happier ones I had carried through life. Plus, I didn't want to get all sad now, I had been doing so well today already.

Edward unwound his arm from around my waist and instead, took my hand as we walked through the door. I lead him to the front counter and then glanced up at him. His green eyes were staring down at me. He quick smiled and ran his hand through his tussled hair before facing the women at the counter.

She was unnaturally blonde, a couple years older than me, had legs that went on forever, and about the largest chest I had ever seen. And that chest was unsurprisingly jutting out in Edward's direction. She was definitely taking some hits on my self-esteem and I think she knew that. I read her name tag: **Gianna**.

"Can I help you?" Gianna asked to _only_ Edward, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. My small smile wavered into a small frown. I just looked down at the ground, not speaking. I considered just waiting outside. Edward knew what we were getting, he could order just fine without me in the picture.

His hand remained locked around mine though. "Can _we_ get an extra-large Peanut Butter Swirl?" He asked in a sort of suggestive tone. Good, he must not have cared for Blondie much. I didn't look up to meet her eyes. Instead, I looked at Edward. He was grinning hugely, totally avoiding the gaze from Gianna. I grinned back at him, and suddenly had this out-of-nowhere braveness. I glanced up to meet her eyes. They were furiously glaring into mine.

"What do you want?" She asked in a ridiculously _unpolite_ tone, snapping her bubble gum in my face. I didn't know what it was with dumb girls and their bubble gum all of the time. I mean, Jess, Lauren, Vicky; They _always_ were chewing it. I didn't know how guys even found in attractive, or if they even did.

I just smiled at her, trying my best to keep the smirk off of my face. "Oh, I don't need anything," I told her cheerfully, "We're sharing." Edward laughed out loud, but then tried to disguise it as a cough. While she went back to get us our very anticipated frozen treat, he beamed at me and mouthed "nice". I was pretty pleased with myself, so I just smiled right back at him and nodded proudly.

When Gianna arrived back with our ice cream, she made an extra attempt to theatrically sway her hips. Edward had rolled his eyes. I giggled. She placed it on the counter as Edward dug into his pocket for some money. He handed it to her and she reached over to grab us our spoons.

"One's enough," He smiled politely at her, then winked at me. Once again, _I giggled_. What was with me today? She started to walk away before Edward called after her, "Oh, and Gianna?" He asked innocently, "I don't think Bella or I really want to eat something with spit in it." I burst out laughing. She glared daggers at me as she nodded curtly at Edward and took our infested Peanut Butter Swirl to replaced it with a new one.

Once she finally brought back our new one, avoiding eye contact with each of us, we walked outside and to a near by picnic table. I sat down and Edward sat next to me. He unwrapped the spoon and handed it to me for the first bight.

I scooped out a big chunk of frozen peanut butter and instead of sticking it in my mouth, I carefully shoved it into Edward's. His face was full of surprise as he swallowed the spoonful I had given him. Then, I gave myself a small spoonful before sliding the cup of ice cream over to him.

He scooped out enough ice cream so that it was about twice the size of the spoon. Then, he motioned for me to open my mouth. I closed my eyes and opened it as wide as I could, sticking my tongue out too. Expecting him to feed me like a four year old, I peeked one eye open to see what he was doing. He had the spoonful ready, and shoved the whole thing right into my mouth. I glared at him as he pulled the empty spoon out of my mouth which was now completely full of ice cream.

Once I finally swallowed, I snatched the cup of ice cream from his hands and an evil smile spread across my face. Pay back's a bitch, I thought smugly. His cocky smile just kept getting bigger and bigger as I scooped out the biggest spoonful I could manage.

He didn't even need me to ask as he opened his mouth widely. I raised my eyebrows at him. I had other plans. Right as I was about to shove the spoon in his mouth, I quickly changed my course and dodged it away from his mouth, and right at his nose. He gasped and started cursing under his breath, laughing at the same time. My loud giggling just kept getting worse as he sat there and unsuccessfully tried to lick it from his nose.

"Hey, I was much nicer than _that_!" He whined, finally just giving up and using a napkin to wipe off the remaining mess from his face. I just smiled hugely at him. I don't think I had ever smiled so much in my life. My face was even starting to hurt, but I just couldn't stop.

By the time we were almost half way done with our cup, both our faces were peanut buttery-ice creamy messes, and the sun was just beginning to get lower in the sky. I caught a glimpse of the clock from inside _The Tip Top_, and was surprised to see that Edward and I had been sitting on that picnic table for over an hour.

We promised a truce, and finished the rest of our ice cream like good little boys and girls, as Edward had put it. I had laughed at that, but quickly agreed. We had managed to finish the rest in the next half hour, and had to go in for some more napkins.

Gianna was just walking out the door from finishing her shift as we walked in. She studied our ice cream filled faces and grimaced in disgust. Well, grimaced at _me_. She did that stupid eyelash thing to Edward again. He ignored her though, which made me feel better.

As I reached up with my own napkin to wipe the remaining ice cream from my face, Edward stopped me. He took the napkin from my hand and then gingerly cleaned off my face for me. I had to admit, gentleman Edward was a definite yes to Bella's list. His emerald eyes gazed into mine as he got the last smudge from on my cheek. I stared back, looking into his endlessly deep green pools. I wondered what he saw in mine.

After he had wiped his own face off, he snaked his arm around my waist again, this time with no hesitance. I felt just comfortable enough to lean into him the slightest bit.

"You ready to head back to the car?" He asked, glancing at the door and then back at me. I nodded back at him and he pulled me out the door. I walked along with him, this time letting him lead me, since he knew where he was going now. We reached the path and began heading back towards the car. Every minute, the sun would dip lower and lower in the sky. I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't make it back to the Volvo before dark. It wasn't even late either, it was just how short the days had been getting lately.

It was also starting to get a little colder now that darkness was slowly creeping upon us. Edward didn't have a jacket either, so he pulled me closer to him. I didn't protest because his body was really warm, and for some reason, I liked being that close to him. There was that feeling of security again.

Each minute of silence, it was like something was growing stronger and stronger between us. The sun was just starting to set when Edward suddenly stopped. He turned to face me and the proximity of our closeness overwhelmed me. My head just barely reached up to his shoulders, and I felt so tiny. He bent down and rested his forehead on mine, just staring at me.

In his eyes, I was searching. What I found was something I wasn't expecting. The happiness that had been in them all day was still there, but now there was something more also. I couldn't identify it though. The only sound I could hear was that of our breathing. Edward's breaths were slow and gentle, and were the most peaceful sounds I had ever heard. I concentrated on them to keep myself relaxed.

His eyes suddenly grew very soft, and I noticed that we had gotten even closer. "I might kiss you, Bella," He whispered to me, keeping his eyes connected with mine. I stared at his full lips that looked so warm and soft, and parted my own slightly. I was ready, and I wanted this. Whether it was because of how well that our date had went, or simply just because I needed to be close to him like that, or maybe even just the fact that the way he made me feel, making me know this was right. All of them seemed like good enough reasons to me.

"I might like that," I whispered back, fluttering my eyes closed and smiling. I focused on the sound of his gentle breathing as I felt his lips inch towards mine. The moment they finally brushed against each other, we both gasped and slightly backed up at the jolt that had happened when they touched. This time, not as hesitantly, Edward brought his lips back to mine. He pressed them there lightly for a moment, before slightly deepening the kiss. I took his bottom lip in mine and sucked on it gently. I had no experience in this area, but it seemed like the right thing to do. He did the same with my top lip. I could feel his lips smiling against mine as they continued to graze my own. He took his hand and cupped it around the back of my neck while his thumb stroked my cheek lightly in circles. I responded by pouting my lips into to his. He sucked on my top lip softly and then pulled away gently, but went right back again, this time taking my bottom lip.

He was beginning to tangle his hand into my hair as his breathing started to get a little more rough and jagged. We went into this routine where he'd alternate from my bottom lip to my top one, each time pulling away, only to bring them right back to meet each other's again. I could taste the slightest bit of peanut butter from before. I continued kissing him back, enjoying this moment while it lasted. I knew that this couldn't go on forever, and as much as I may have wanted it to, I slowly pulled away.

I didn't move from where I was, or open my eyes for a few moments. The complete and total bliss washed over me, and when I finally did open my eyes, they were met by Edward's eager ones. He was smiling at me sweetly, the sweetest I think he ever had before. I smiled back, and one last time, he firmly pressed his lips to mine for just a second, and then pulled away.

The smile remained on my face as his arm once again wrapped around my waist and he pulled me impossibly closer to him than before. I was shivering, but it wasn't from the cold. I glanced up at Edward's face which was now staring directly ahead with an expression that was probably mirroring my own.

We walked in silence the rest of the way, each quietly enjoying the bliss from the previous moment. It wasn't awkward or weird, or anything. It just felt natural. Edward had been my first kiss, and I couldn't help but think of what a first kiss it had been. I didn't really have any past experience to compare it to, but I knew if I did, nothing would match how amazingly wonderful that it had made me feel. Words couldn't describe it. Something that great should have been illegal.

The butterflies that were in my stomach felt like they were my wings, and that I could fly away. I couldn't stop smiling, and from the looks of it, neither could Edward. If you compared us, we were two completely different people, and yet, somehow still the _same_. I didn't know why it felt that way, it just felt like Edward shared something with me that no one else could relate to. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't scared. I was myself, and I felt _just right_. Most importantly, I trusted Edward. Trusted him with my full heart and soul, and knew that he wasn't going to hurt me.

I also knew that it was wrong to keep him so out of the loop. He deserved to know the truth about me, as ugly as it may have been. I didn't want to spoil this moment for either of us though, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. I'd tell him, I promised myself. I just hadn't figured out when the right time would be.

I don't know how long we stood there, just taking in the surprise of what had just happened, but at some point Edward made the comment about it starting to get dark, and we ended up back at the Volvo fifteen minutes later. He kept his arm securely around my waist, holding me close, the whole walk back. This kind of physical contact felt nice. No, nice was the wrong word. _Amazing_. It felt amazing. A million times better than what I was normally used to.

I shuddered, because at the thought of that, it brought my thoughts back to Charlie. Those unbearably painful thoughts that I had been avoiding all night. Well, until now. I wondered what he was doing right now. I wondered how bad I'd have it when I eventually got home. I shivered again, but tried as hard as I could to push the dark thoughts from my head a little longer. At least for now. How could I be sad after being kissed by Edward Cullen? Exactly. I couldn't.

We didn't say a single word as we were driving back into town. We didn't need to. We never really did. It was always just each other's mere presence that was enough. I took a few occasional glances at him, and every time I'd look, he'd still have that warm smile on his face. I had to take a minute to ask myself if I was really the reason for causing it. I sure hoped so.

I rested my head against the window, just now realizing how tired I was. It had been a long, eventful day. _It's not over yet_, the tiny voice in my head reminded me. It wasn't over yet. I still would have to face the monster.

I rested my eyes by drifting them shut, not for sleeping or anything, just relaxing what time I had left of the serenity. I barely noticed it when Edward reached his hand over and slipped it into mine while keeping the other on the wheel. It was warm and comforting. I fluttered my eyes open and smiled in his direction. He smiled crookedly, keeping his eyes directly in front of the road.

Just when I began drifting off, the bright street lights from the city shined through my eyelids. I quietly yawned and sat up in my seat more, stretching the slightest bit. Huh, still no soreness. I knew _that_ would all change very quickly. I didn't let that get to me yet though; I wanted to ride on my night's high for just a little bit longer.

We remained silent as he pulled onto my street, to where I had to force myself not to moan out loud. I allowed myself to cringe a little though, just a slight reflex reaction I had whenever entering the house. When Edward pulled into the driveway, the front lights were on, and I could see bright colors through the curtains, indicating that Charlie was watching TV from the living room.

I continued to keep the smile on my face, but it was just so hard. I knew what was coming; It was like I was somehow in the path of an unavoidable hurricane. A good description of Charlie really – Mean, unstoppable, cruel, and _deadly_.

Edward's sigh pulled me out of my horrifying trance. When my eyes met his, they were the complete opposite of the eyes I'd soon be facing. His were always comforting to look into. Everything about him was comforting really though, and that's why I knew I trusted him. I wondered if that last wall had finally collapsed, but realized it didn't. By making it do so, I'd need to tell him the truth first. And I would, I reminded myself, eventually.

I decided that I'd be the first one to talk. I took a deep breath, "I had an amazing time today, Edward." He nodded in agreement and was about to say something before I kept going, "No, really, you don't even know. It was absolutely enthralling." His expression of tenderness showed me that he was very pleased I felt that way.

"Me too, Bella," He spoke softly, brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face. I knew that being away from him would make me sad. I couldn't become so dependent on him either though, so I decided that I'd find some nice ground somewhere in between the two. Charlie's face, now peering through the curtains in an attempt to be conspicuous, brought me back to reality. I had had my time playing princess, now it was time to get a grip on the magnitude of the situation.

Edward saw my anxious glance towards the house and then back at him, and nodded. "Dad doesn't want you out late, huh?" He asked casually.

"You have no idea," I muttered sadly under my breath. "I guess I should probably get inside now. . ." I stared down at my hands lamely. His stare was becoming overwhelmingly intense. I couldn't look at it much longer or I knew it would really break me.

"I guess you probably should," Was that sadness I had just heard in his voice? No, it couldn't have been. I nodded somberly and before opening the car door, looked one last time into his emerald eyes. He blinked once, and without hesitation, pulled me into an awkward hug. Well, only awkward in the sense that the way we were both positioned and the fact that there was that darn divider thing in betweens us. The hug wasn't awkward though, definitely not, and I let myself enjoy the last good thing I'd feel for the night.

"Sleep tight, Bells," He whispered into my hair before releasing me. I almost teared up right then and there. Surely it couldn't be over already. Where was my happy ending? Oh right, I didn't get one, I reminded myself bitterly. It was too much for me though. The tenderness in his face, the gentleness of his hug – My eyes began to fill with a little moisture that I angrily tried to fight back. I had to get out of there before Edward caught a glimpse of them. I quickly opened the door and ran up the front stairs, waving to him as he drove off. I took about a minute to relax by taking deep breaths, wiping off my slightly dampened face, and calming myself down. I didn't know what the point was anyways, so I slowly took one last breath. . ._and opened the door_.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard the recliner creek and heard that Charlie had stood up. I stayed frozen in my place, afraid to move. Afraid to do anything. As he came into view, I could smell alcohol. A lot of it. I didn't get it; Wasn't he suppose to be just recovering from a big hangover? I could feel my body betraying me. I was beginning to tremble.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Charlie purred in a seductively evil tone. It was soft, slurred, and even more deadly than usual. I was just now noticing the dark shadows under his eyes. He hadn't slept much in a while.

I swallowed loudly, trying to control the shaking. "I told you," I said in a tiny voice, "I had plans." The fear in my voice was very easily decipherable. He blinked his crinkly eyes once, and then let out one shocked laugh.

"You were honestly serious about that?" He laughed louder, humorously, and it scared me. I had no where to back up to; No where to run. I didn't have any escape. Charlie was beginning to get frighteningly close.

I gulped, closed my eyes for a second, and nodded. "I was," I mumbled, barely audible.

"Since when the _hell_ did you get the impression that it was okay for you to start having a social life? It's _not_ okay. You belong to _me_. I decide what you do, and don't do. And dammit, I decided _when _you do it too!" I just stared into his cold, hatred-filled eyes and coward even more into the wall behind me.

I looked away from him and shrugged hesitantly, figuring it was a better thing to do than to say something wrong. I didn't want to give him any more extra excess than he already had. All of any confidence that I may have had before vanished the minute I had stepped into the house.

"Answer me," He suddenly roared, taking two stomps closer so that he was now only feet away from me. I blinked desperately, trying to stop the tears from running down my face. I couldn't show weakness, not in front of Charlie. I still hadn't spoken. Hadn't moved.

"I. Said. Answer. Me." Each word like it's own knife, cutting into me. I knew what was coming, and expected it. I stayed frozen, not saying a word. Before I knew it, he was clutching my neck in his hands, slamming my whole body up against the wall. I was gasping for air and thrashing against him. Memories from the night of my mother's death filled my vision. There was no stopping the tears that were coming now. The first one rolled down my face, the warm watery sensation left a trail on my cheek, as more began to poor out. I couldn't stop them as Charlie continued to block my airways.

This was the part where I began to get dizzy. It normally wasn't so soon, but the extra amount of force Charlie was exerting tonight made the difference. A hard blow to my stomach with his knee caused me to cry out in pain. I was only making this worse for myself. The tears, the screams- both factors that encouraged him on in his sick games.

Now I really couldn't breathe. He had yet to release his strangling grip from around my neck, and the now throbbing pain in my stomach was making things even more awful. I wondered how close he'd come to killing me tonight.

Once he finally let loose his hands from my neck, I took in one lungful of air after another. I had been struggling against him tonight. More so than usual. He didn't like that, and I didn't even know why I was doing it. Fighting did no good. I couldn't win; Charlie was stronger. He took both of my hands and pinned them above my head in his iron grip. Now, I was completely helpless and he had a free hand. That was one equation anyone could solve, could at math or not.

I scrunched my wet eyes shut, grimacing at what his plans for me would be next. Whatever they were, they were causing him to enjoy himself an awful lot. He was freaking laughing. Laughing right in the middle of a deathly torture session. How much more heartless could you get?

Once again, his face bent down dangerously close to mine as he scowled at me. I could smell the strong alcohol on his breath more clearly now, and tried my hardest not to gag. "You were in that car with a boy." It wasn't a question, just a statement. I refrained from moving my body a fraction of an inch. Maintaining my trembling was beginning to get easier. Handling the pain, _that_ was the exact opposite. It was getting harder and harder to stand by the minute, and I knew it'd only be getting worse as the night went on.

He paused to correct himself. "No, wait, you were in that car with the _same_ boy this morning, right?" His tone was frightening. It was full of anger, and yet happy in a twisted way, all at the same time. I slowly moved my head a fraction of an inch to nod at him.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression remained the same. "_Which_ boy?" I was not about to answer that question. With Charlie, less was always more. To tell him that Edward Cullen was the boy who I had just been with; it'd only be putting Edward in horrible danger. No doubt would Charlie be afraid of what I'd end up telling Edward. _If_ I ended up telling Edward.

To keep him from harm's way, I protected him by keeping my lips sealed. I bit my bottom lip and stared at the ground. My reluctance would not go over too well with my father, I knew that already, but it was a chance I guess I'd just have to take.

"Fine then." Charlie hissed angrily, "You wanna have it that way? So be it." He disappeared for a short second, which I only assumed couldn't have been good. I wasn't going to run, because he would find me. I wasn't going to scream, because that'd make it worse. I wasn't ready to be hurt again though, not after the day I had. I stood motionless as a statue, waiting for his return and whatever gruesome plans he'd bring along with him.

After another two minutes – More like two hours – He appeared back into view, carrying a. . .lighter? As he got closer, I could officially identify it as a lighter. It wasn't a big one- just a small pocket lighter you'd carry with you to light up a cigar. My stomach suddenly felt sick. Fire. I was _terrified _of fire. It was the worse punishment possible. Compared to the hitting, the kicking, and even the cutting; I'd take any of them. I'd take all of them, _except _the fire.

At this point, I noticed that I had started silently sobbing. Now, the tears were uncontrollably running down my face, and I was taking raspy short breaths. It was getting hard for me to breathe again, and I was shaking as if someone had just dropped me in the middle of the South Pole with no clothes on. It didn't escape Charlie's notice. He smirked at me, devilishly.

The shaking returned, and I was biting down on my lip so hard, I could taste blood. I wasn't going to beg him. That never worked, as I had learned so effectively in the past. I couldn't help it though- slight pleas were escaping my mouth before I had the chance to control them. Charlie liked that. It caused his smile to become even wider.

I didn't know what he was planning to do as he flipped the lighter switch on. He waited a long second before suddenly, he viciously ripped off my shirt from my body. The feeling of exposure swept over me, though I still had my cami on. I wrapped both arms tightly around my body.

As he reached for on of my bare arms, I shoved his hand away. My vision was so blurry from my tears, that now, I could only make out the faint outline of his face. My weak attempts to push him away were failing every second. I was loosing all of my strength. One last try at slapping his hand away ended up with him cursing under his breath and finally just reaching to me, digging his nails into the skin of my arm and holding it out in front of him.

My head was spinning. I was so gone that I couldn't see what he was about to do. Then, I felt it. The greatest pain of all, searing into my skin, worse than a thousand poisonous needles being shoved into it. Worse than him choking me. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I felt it. I _smelt _it.

The smell of burning flesh came through my nose as I was taking desperate breaths for air. I screamed, I cried out in in absolute pain, I thrashed, and I squirmed, all with the little strength and life that I had left. All my attempts at freedom failing.

My arm hurt so bad, I thought that the pain alone would kill me. Whatever he was doing, he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. It almost felt like he was taking his time and being very careful about what he did. I yelled in agony, begging for him to stop this horrid torture. He laughed in response as I continued to sob miserably.

I was slipping fast, that I could tell. What I couldn't tell was how long Charlie would keep this up for. Normally, the sessions weren't this bad. This was ten times worse than I had ever gotten before. The pain radiating from the center of my shoulder was unbearable. Never had I actually feared death so much before. Only a few more kicks and cuts, I'd be there.

I quick shot a glance at the spot on my shoulder where Charlie was burning. Just now was I beginning to identify what he was doing. He was almost done too. With the flame, Charlie had carved a good-sized **C** right into my flesh with the fire. That's why he had been being so careful. The scar would be permanent, that was for sure. I thought about that fact little though- not much was able to be running through my mind at that moment. I was too unfocused, and too weak. My cries were slowly dying out as the strength I had remaining died as well.

The possibility that I'd never see Edward again suddenly fled through my mind. Surely, that was the worst punishment of all. Dying would mean an escape from Charlie, from this life, but it would also mean being taken away from Edward. Edward, so sweet and caring to me, seeing his eyes one last time- what I would give to see them right now. While writhing in pain, I imagined him sitting on his bed, playing his guitar. I could picture his tussled bronze hair just barely sweeping over his face as he strummed beautiful notes that gently filled the spacious room.

Those were the last thoughts that I had before my body finally gave way, and I fell to the ground. Burnt, scarred, and unconscious. Wonderful things come with horrible consequences. The only that kept me from totally loosing it as I slipped to the ground were Edward's lips on mine. Edward, holding me close- protecting me.

**Yeah, I cried in this chapter...So what? *wipes up tears*  
It was so damn hard for me to write this as well.  
I mean, Bella's downfall- horrible.  
So yeah...hope it was real for you guys.**

And on that note, just let me say that you guys did any absolutely _**outstanding**_** job on the reviews for Ch.8(:  
Really, you don't know how happy I was to be showered with that many.  
You all truly are a blessing, and that's why for this chapter, every single review that I get, I will be responding to. Yup, I promise, and if I don't, you can hold me to it until I do!  
So yeah...  
Not much FAQ this week I guess, right?  
Eh, if you have any just ask. Kay?**

_**Reviews are better than sharing a Peanut Butter Swirl with Edward(:**_


	10. Skeptics and True Believers: TAI

**I want to apologize firstly, for how long it took me to get this chapter out.  
I didn't do it intentionally, I promise, I love you guys to much for that! I have just been so damn busy with keeping up for the last week of school. So yeah, I apologize once more for that, and I also reassure you that summer is a major writing time for me. Yeah, you got it. Summer = LOTS OF NEW CHAPTERS!  
**

**Okay, so song of the chapter is **_**Skeptics and True Believers – The Academy Is  
**_**I picked this song because once you read this chapter, you'll understand what a perfect choice it is. Also, I'm in love with TAI, and it's one of my favorite songs by them.  
(--You can hear this song by going to my profile and clicking the link to my website--)**

**You don't know how greatly that reviews are appreciated.  
Each one I receive, I do a little happy dance around my room. Yeah, they mean that much to me.  
My goal this chapter is to break 275. Consider it a challenge(;  
Who knows, maybe you'll be seeing Chapter 11 up sooner than you think. xD**

* * *

**EPOV**

Could my lips have possibly _still_ been tingling? I glanced one last time at Bella as she made her way up the front stairs to her house. It was a weird thing to think at the moment, but her actions seemed a little. . .off? It was almost as if she was hesitant to enter her house. I backed out of the drive and shook my head clear of all my theories and trailed my thoughts back to that little path. . .to the warm, smoldering brown color. . .to the incredibly soft lips. . .

I swerved in time to just barely miss the fire-hydrant I almost ran into. _Focus_, I told myself, _You can think about Bella all you want once you get home_. Why the hell was I this worked up? It was just a kiss for crying out loud! A fucking amazing kiss. . .

Pulling into the driveway of my house, I ran over the curb with my back tire and left a narrow strip of grass with tire marks on it. Esme wouldn't be too pleased about that in the morning. Stepping out of the Volvo, as dazed as ever, I made my way inside the house. It was quiet, indicating that everyone else's plans went later than mine.

I didn't mind one bit. In fact, I was glad that no one was home at the moment. That meant I wouldn't have to deal with questions until the morning. I'd just call it an early night and quit while I was ahead. I glanced at the clock. Damn, it was only nine. I couldn't go to sleep at fucking nine o' clock. I was way too keyed up for sleep right now.

So I decided to satiate my boredom with a long time lost hobby of Emmett and I's.

I played Halo 3 on the Xbox.

For three fucking hours straight.

By the time midnight rolled around and I was curled up onto the couch with the remote in my hand, just barely coherent, I heard the sound of a door knob turning and listened as I heard Alice's shrill of a laugh ring throughout the whole house. I pretended to be asleep, grinning a little at the sound of the two making out in the doorway. I chuckled silently as the sound of there silent kissing and moaning filled the house. There was only so much I could take after a while, and it was fucking disgusting. I moaned and sat up, blinking furiously at the sight of Alice curled completely around Jasper's body, still fully-clothed, thankfully.

"Get a fucking room," My voice sounded groggy from the slight sleep I had gotten from drifting off. Jasper grimaced and blushed at getting caught in the act. Alice just grinned proudly and cheerfully gave me the finger. I just shook my head at her and rolled my eyes.

I knew Alice's sudden intentions before they could even reach her mouth. "Stop." I held up my index finger at her, "I'll tell you in the morning, alright?" She gave me a skeptical look before skipping over and ruffling with my hair playfully. I shoved her away and headed for the stairs, waving them both a happy goodnight. I mean, fuck, there was only so much of Alice I could take. I wondered if Jazz ever got annoyed. I'd have to ask him sometime.

I laid above my covers, impatiently waiting for sleep to come. After a half an hour of trying, I gave up and realized that I wasn't actually tired. The bright moon shown through my curtains as I walked over slowly to the door and out to the roof-patio. I had never really been out here at all, and as I rested my hands on the ledge and stared out into the stars, I had a million thoughts running through my head.

The cool spring air against my bare chest sent relaxing vibes throughout my whole body. It instantly relaxed me, and I decided to sit down on the old couch that Esme had put on the patio. Once I sat, I decided laying would be a better option, so I spread myself out on my back and placed my hands behind my head.

A couple of deep, steady breaths eventually lulled me to a peaceful sleep under the moonlight. That was the first night I dreamt of Bella Swan. Once the images came and fled my mind, there was no stopping them or turning back now. It was safe to say that I slept with a smile on my face the whole night as the stars shown above me.

I quick shot straight up at the sound of thunder echoing off the mountains. The drops of rain were pelting my face and the sky wasn't even completely light yet. I cursed under my breath at the rain, and shook my hair violently before hurrying back into my room.

Damn weatherman said nothing about fucking thunderstorms this weekend. Em, Jazz, and I were suppose to round-up a football team and play at the park. Eh, I guess I wasn't too upset; The people here weren't that great anyways. All just a bunch of dumb jocks who hooked up with all of the cheer-leading team, failed all of their classes, and thought they were all the shit. I figured it'd be okay not to get too torn up about the whole thing. Emmett would be crushed though, that was for sure.

I was dripping wet as I stepped into my bathroom and snatched a towel from the rack. After drying myself off, sort of, I just gave up all together and decided to take a shower.

After slipping an old 80's band shirt over my head, I debated on whether or not I should go downstairs. Fearing Alice and her questions, I decided it'd be a good idea to take a rain check on breakfast. Hell, I didn't even know if she was awake or not yet. It sure did sound like her and Jazz had a pretty big night last night. I also wasn't sure where Em and Rose were, or if they were even home yet. Fuck, they were probably doing it in Emmett's jeep in some McDonald's parking lot or some shit.

An hour later, my stomach growled and I realized that I'd need breakfast sooner or later. I tip-toed, feeling like a real pussy doing it, down the stairs and to the kitchen. I was about to round the corner when I heard hushed whispers. Damn, no breakfast for you Edward. I slowly turned around and began making my way back up to my room when someone grabbed my shirt from behind. Alice. Fuck.

I turned around to meet the most bitchiest smile I had ever seen in my life. All the girls I'd ever dated probably couldn't even pull it off, and trust me, they _were_ bitches. So I gave right back to her, and smiled right back. Jasper wasn't anywhere close, so I figured he'd probably went back to sleep. Dude sleep until noon if he could. Lucky him.

"I believe you have something to share with me, oh brother deary?" She said in the most innocently sweet tone she could, even throwing in some eyelash batting and a puppy-dog pout. I wasn't buying that shit. Yeah, it worked for everyone else on the planet, but not for me. I smiled back smugly at her and shrugged. Her smile wavered slightly and then turned into a furious glare.

"Listen," Her little four-foot-eleven self had the nerve to reach up and take hold of my shirt and pull my face level with hers, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard. Either way, I _will_ find out what happened on that date." Alright, now I was scared.

"God Alice," I pushed her away and chuckled breathlessly, "You sound like someone from CSI. It was just a date. Big deal." If only she knew how big of deal it was. I casually turned away to the fridge and grabbed the carton of milk. I could hear her angry breathing from behind me as I smirked and reached for a bowl. She wasn't going to be quitting any time soon. As I poured out my cereal, I continued to grin at her heavy breathing from behind me, and as I walked to the dining room table to sit down, she was still on my heals.

I took a big bite and waited for it to start, chewing loudly and swallowing dramatically. She rolled her eyes and then narrowed them. "I'm serious." Her voice was surprisingly dangerous. "Talk. Now." This was Alice's scary side. Real fucking scary.

"What do you want to know?" I asked irritatedly while scooping another spoonful and shoving it into my mouth aggressively. Why was it even any of her damn business?

She sighed, frustrated, and slammed her hand down on the table loudly, causing me to jump slightly. I wasn't going to win this battle, so I gave up. "Fine Alice, you win." I told her in surrender. "We went to Port Angeles and got ice cream. Happy?" My voice sounded annoyed and I knew she wouldn't be too pleased.

She gave me a skeptical look to go on. I didn't say anything for a while when she finally huffed impatiently. "And?" She hedged, wanting more details. I didn't want to give her them. Why did I need to?

"Look Alice," I told her, keeping my voice some-what calm. "It happened and it's over. Why does it even matter to you?" I felt a little bad about my hostility, but this girl was really pushing a nerve.

"Wait. . .it's over?" She asked, sounding dissapointed. It took me a second to understand what she was saying before I quickly shook my head.

"No, it's not over," I assured her sincerely, "It's definitely not over." That got her. Her smile was so big, I thought her face would bust off. I didn't think what I said was anything important, but I went along with it and smiled back. I also threw in a nod to be more convincing, because honestly, I didn't have a clue why she had that shit-eating grin spread across her face.

". . .So you really like her?" Alice asked in a tiny voice, holding back a squeal I could only assume. Ah, this was the question I was expecting. What, were we in fifth grade all over again? I had no idea what I was going to tell Alice. It'd end bad either way, so I figured I had nothing to loose.

"Yes Alice, I do," I told her confidently, grinning and taking another spoonful of cereal. I wasn't ashamed of my answer; why should I have been? No, the real question was why Alice's face was so full of surprise. I mean, yeah, my dating history wasn't great, I already knew that, but was it really _that _surprising that I actually liked a girl for real? It was bound to happen eventually, she had to have known that.

Alice didn't say another word as she happily skipped out of the room and off to god-knows-where. I shook my head and rubbed my temples – It was gonna be a _long_ weekend before Monday would come.

I hated to admit it, but I'd spent most of the weekend avoiding everyone and spending time in my bedroom doing nothing. What could I have done? It's not like I was going to do homework or anything. Psht, the teachers could kiss my ass if they thought that I was going to be doing work I missed from the beginning of the year. I would occasionally pick up my guitar and play for periods of time, but other than that I'd just hang around my room, not ever really doing anything. I guess I just needed time to think. Every thought I had would end up straying to Bella somehow. It'd start out as an innocent thought like hanging out at the beach with Em and Jazz, and it end with Bella tightly in my arms. I had to stop thinking about her like she was some fucking piece of meat. She wasn't that, nor did she ever deserved to be treated like one. I'd be the one to protect her from the guys who thought things like that.

Monday _finally _rolled around and I couldn't have been any more happy for the week to began. God, I felt so pathetic. Like a real asshole. Seriously, why was I acting this way? Yeah, I was anxious to see Bella, understatement of the century, but it was like I was suddenly a new person. The old Edward wouldn't have even cared, and would've had the "fuck my life" attitude towards everything. I didn't feel that way lately. I felt good. Like I said, different.

When I headed down for the breakfast that Esme had made, I was expecting some conversation from her since I had basically ignored her the whole weekend. I wasn't going to be a douche about it; I'd talk to her because she deserved it. This wasn't the same situation as Alice, this was my _mother_.

"Hi Mom," I said cheerfully as I scooped out a bowl of eggs and sausage. One of the many reasons I loved my mom- She could cook. She could _really_ cook.

"Edward," She smiled and nodded happily at me, I'm guess because I was finally acknowledging her presence in this house. I was just now beginning to feel really bad about the way I acted this weekend. I wouldn't do it again, I promised myself.

I sat there and ate in silence while she quietly continued to took more servings for the rest of the family. This wasn't what I was expecting. I thought with Esme she'd be all over this new situation I was in. I guess I was wrong.

"Er, so. . ." I stated lamely, shoving another bite into my mouth quickly. She glanced up at me and laughed. "I'm not going to bug you with questions, Edward," She grinned and winked. "It's your life and none of my business. You can tell me if you want." She hesitated before adding, "You know, I was your age once. I'm always there if you need advice or someone to talk to. I mean, I know I'm not Carlisle, but still, I'm here." Well fuck me, if I thought she couldn't get any more nice than before, I had it all wrong. I almost felt like I would spill my feelings to her right then and there, but decided not to. She was giving me a choice that I greatly appreciated, and I decided I'd just tell her another time.

I gulped down my orange juice quickly afterwards, and Esme noticed and came by with the carton and filled my glass back up. She patted me on the shoulder tenderly and quietly added, "I like her." Before I could say anything, Rose walked down the stairs with the expression that was less than pleasant. She didn't care for Mondays. Or school, for that matter. She didn't look very well rested either and I imagine it was from both of the late nights her and Emmett shared. I was in a good mood, so what the hell, I decided to tease her.

"Well," I grinned hugely at her, baring all of my teeth, "Don't you look just lovely!" I couldn't keep the smirk from my face as I said it. If I ever once doubted that Rosalie's death glare really could kill, I sure as hell wasn't now. I was instantly back-tracking in my words and muttering sincere compliment nonsense under my breath. Her glare turned into a bitchy smile as she walked over and patted me on the shoulder. "Good boy," She nodded approvingly before walking out the door. She will do great things, I thought in my head smugly.

I wondered where Emmett was, but that question was soon answered as he practically stumbled down the stairs looking possibly even worse than Rose had. Poor motherfucker, he had told me stories about what an animal that Rosalie was in bed; I didn't exactly care to hear the stories at all but with Emmett, if you were family and you were related to him, he'd tell you the color of his pee, his intake on how low-cut a girl's shirt was, and even his nightly activities with his lady, all without being asked. God, Emmett, was all I could think.

After the reaction that I had gotten from Rose, I kept my mouth shut as he trudged off out the front door to follow her. They always headed out early so they could stop at a local Caribou and get Rose her daily cappuccino. I glanced at the clock and realized I'd better bolt soon too if I was going to arrive at Bella's soon enough. I'd need to get there a little earlier than usual because I had forgotten to tell her that I'd be driving her to school this week. I guess I had just been caught up in the moment at the time.

I pulled into her driveway and noticed a police cruiser parked in it as well. At first, I was confused, but then I remembered that her dad was chief of police. I took a deep breath and headed towards her front door. I only had to knock once before the door was opened by who I could only assume to be her father. The reason I knew it was her dad was because of the shocking resemblance. Actually, there wasn't much of a resemblance at all, it was just the eyes. They were completely identical to Bella's. The only thing I noticed that was a little different was the slight hint of anger in them.

They kind of made me frozen in my spot and small shivers ran down my back uncontrollably. I didn't know why I was reacting this way. This was Bella's dad, and they were just eyes. He probably just had a bad morning or something; Been there, done that, trust me.

He nodded sternly at me, then stepped aside so I could enter. It was real fucking awkward, and I wasn't sure if I was suppose to say anything or not. I kept my mouth shut, assuming it was a good idea. I wondered where Bella was. Her dad walked out of the room, going back to doing whatever he was before I got there.

I stared around, studying her house. I had never really seen the inside before, but I knew this was the only tour I'd be getting. By the looks of earlier, I wasn't exactly that welcome here. I didn't know if I should call her name, or look for her or something, but all this waiting was making my anxious. Three minutes later, and thank god, she emerged from the top of the stairs. My eyes instnatly met her pretty brown ones and the first think I saw in them was shock and fear. Her face startled me. The bags under her eyes her huge, indicating that sleep wasn't something she got much of this weekend, and her expression was just so painful to look at.

Luckily, once I smiled at her hesitantly, she slowly smiled back, erasing some of the pain from her expression. The way she made her way down almost seemed like she was in pain while doing it. She took each step slowly, and it almost seemed like she was cringing each time her foot would touch the ground. I had no clue what to think, but once she was finally down to the last step, I went to greet her with a hug. I just couldn't help myself, I had to be close to her.

"Morning," I smiled into her hair before release her. Once again, she cringed, but hugged back gently. What was with her? At first I had wondered if I'd done something wrong, but it just didn't seem right. Something didn't seem right. I was beginning to get really fucking nervous when she suddenly tugged on my arm and urged me to the door. I happily complied, waiting until we were outside until slipping my arm loosely around her tiny waist.

I opened the car, and as she sat down her movements seemed so hesitant and careful. I had no idea why I was being so observant today in all of her actions, and I decided that I was being too superstitious and worrying too much. I shook if off and joined her in the Volvo.

"So how was your weekend?" I asked her casually, trying for some light conversation. I knew that's what she wanted. About a minute into the car ride, I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed it a couple of times — rubbing soft circles with my thumb. I knew she always liked that shit.

She didn't answer at first and it almost seemed like she shuddered just a little in her seat. Once again, I was totally letting that damn imagination get the better of me. She sighed and turned her eyes to face mine, "It was fine." That was all I got? Bullshit.

"Bella," I paused. "Are you okay?" I had to ask even though I knew already what her answer would be.

"Why?" Her voice turned cold and venom-like. "Do I seem _not_ okay, Edward?" Fuck, she was good. Always turning the tables. I didn't know how to respond to that so I shrugged in my seat and shut my damn mouth. I didn't want this to be a bad day though, and I certainly didn't want her to be mad at me all day either, so I decided to shower her with compliments. Girls always loved that shit, but I had this feeling that Bella needed to hear them more often. No, it wasn't a feeling, it was the truth; She _deserved_ them more often.

"Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?" I asked in the most sweet, polite voice I could ever have been capable of. I knew she was trying to be mad at me, and ignore me, but her angry facade was starting to fade as her lips twitched the slightest bit, fighting back a smile. Yeah, her cheeks got red too, so I decided to keep going. "No, really," I squeezed her hand playfully, and this time, she squeezed back. "They're fucking beautiful. . ." And then those fucking beautiful eyes stared up into mine with such intensity and innocence, that I just _had_ to keep going. ". . .Just like you are."

That got her. She suddenly smiled so hugely, I was surprised that her mouth could even spread out that much. It was another real smile. God, I never got tired of seeing those. She didn't say anything back. She didn't need to. I'd tell her it a million times if she wanted me to. Just to see that smile.

The first class I had once we got to school wasn't with Bella. I needed to walk her to class though, because I just couldn't handle the thought of having her by herself in the hallways. I'd seen the way kids here treated her. Yeah, that was over the minute I arrived at this school. All the kids here were insane, and I fucking hated it. I wished we could transfer, go somewhere else nearby, but that was the problem. There wasn't any other place, not nearby at least. I'd just have to endure it. Bella was sure making it a hell of a lot easier. I wanted someway to thank her for it.

My brilliant plan struck me right as the Red-Head walked into view. I pretended not to see her, but she wasn't having that. Her clothes were, hands down, the most slutty clothes I had ever seen worn in a school. I had seen a lot of inappropriate things, but _seriously_. So when she winked at me, I quickly leaned down and pressed my lips gently against Bella's. Her facial expression was surprised, but she kissed me back, so I knew she wasn't protesting. I knew the kiss couldn't last too long, and as much as I wanted it to, with one last long suck on her pouty bottom lip, I pulled away.

The look on Victoria's face was fucking priceless. It was probably equivalent to that of one who's foot just got run over by a race car, mixed with a hell of a lot of fury. I looked down at Bella's face to find it completely amused and smirking. Perfect, just what I had planned. Red-Head's face just got more pissed by the second, and it was only a matter of time before Bella was cracking up laughing. We were standing in front of her English classroom when the first bell rang. I kissed her lightly on the cheek and whispered, "See you after class, Bells," happily into her ear. She bit her lip excitedly and nodded. As she walked into the room, I noticed Victoria right on her heels. I had suddenly regretted my proud moment of PDA and realized that I might have just made things worse for Bella. I frowned, but turned in the other direction to walk to my class, hoping for the best. What else could I have done? At least one thing positive came out of all of this: Victoria sure as hell wouldn't be mistaking me for her fucking boyfriend any longer. "Crazy bitch," I muttered disgustedly under my breath.

Once my class was finally over, I rushed out of the room and practically ran to the other side of the building. I reached Bella's classroom just in time for the door to open. I mentally noted on how good I had been becoming with timing lately. I was seriously worried that she'd be in tears or something bad when she walked about, but her face was content. Almost even a little bit happy?

Alice walked out right behind her. Ah, that was why. "It's okay, no one said a word to her," Alice mouthed to me. I was so relieved, I felt like taking Alice's little cheeks and squeezing them. I thought better of it though, because my little sister would definitely _not_ be appreciative of that at all. Bella smiled at me, not as big as before, but still happily. I held her around the waist and once again, walked her to her next class. This time, we had the privilege of being accompanied by Alice.

Lunch came surprisingly quick today, and as Bella and I were walking into the cafeteria doors, Red-Head and her skanky-ass friends quickly cut in front of us before we got to the lunch line. We were in the back, so I braced myself for another five minutes of their nazzly voices. At least I had Bella with me. I pulled her just a little closer than usual, letting her know that I was there, and that the bitches couldn't break her.

It wasn't too long at all until they started talking shit. "I can't believe her, that little hoe, didn't I warn her? She crossed a line, and this means war." Victoria's voice hissed to the rest of them. "She's a bitch, why would he even like her?" Talking a _little_ louder than necessary. I could imagine why. Once again, I pulled Bella even a little bit more closer to me, resting my chin on her forehead, trying to drown out what the girls were saying.

"Yeah, seriously, did you see her _throwing_ herself at him in the hallway in front of the English room? Bitch please, that was pathetic." Wasn't I the one who kissed Bella? What the fuck was this girl on? And I'm sure her opinion on what happened had nothing to do with the amount of jealousy boiling in her blood. Yeah, good.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell her, but I guess one more won't hurt," I heard Victoria sigh before turning to face us, looking fakely surprised that we were so close. Hell no, if she was about to do what I thought she was, that slutty little face of hers wasn't going to last through the day. She smiled sweetly at me and winked before turning to face Bella, smiling at her just like she had me.

"Bella," She asked in an innocently nice voice, "Do you mind if we talk? I need to tell you something about the Social assignment, and I'm sure Edward doesn't want to hear me complaining about it." If she thought I was about to let go, she was seriously disturbed. I didn't budge from where I was standing, and neither did Bella.

"Victoria?" I asked, making my voice match that of her own.

"Yes, Edward?" Batting those fucking eyelashes at me. If I could have it my way, I'd call whoever it was that did her hair and makeup in the morning and tell them to pluck those damn things all off.

My smile turned into a glare as I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't think so. Leave her alone." My voice rang with this unfamiliar authority that I had never heard come from me before. Red just stood there gapping at me like a fish. "Just walk away," I smiled pleasantly at her, smirking just the slightest bit.

Her friends behind her gasped as she stormed out of the cafeteria. They frantically called after her and followed as I lead Bella forward in the line, feeling pretty damn pleased with myself.

Bella was pleased too, and she smiled at me. Her eyes didn't match her smile though. Her smile was there, but it didn't go with her eyes. There was obvious sadness in them, but I didn't bother to ask why. I had already been annoying once this morning, and I didn't want to upset her again. I just squeezed her gently and released as she reached out to put food onto her tray. Yet another thing I loved about Bella – She loved a meal. She wasn't one of those girls who was afraid to eat even the smallest piece of lettuce, or the ones who didn't eat at all. She took a whole cheeseburger and fries and everything. Bella wasn't even the slightest bit fat either.

We sat down silently with the rest of the family. I was surprised that Rose and Em had actually decided to go to school for once. This was new. The quietly greeted us and went back to their own private conversations. All of them except Alice of course, because that cleary just wasn't how she worked.

"Aw, you guys are just so cute together," She squealed cheerfully, grinning hugely at the both of us. Bella smiled just a little as I smirked and grimaced at the same time. I didn't know how to describe what Bella and I were. I suppose you could say that we were "a thing", but that just sounded so lame-ass and high schoolish that I instantly crossed that off of the possible definitions.

Lunch was surprisingly quiet as we all ate our food. Whether it was because everyone knew it was best to keep their mouths shut, or just because no one really felt like talking, I was just fine with it. Once I finished, I scooted a little closer to Bella, and lightly rubbed her back, doing it without being noticed. She glanced sideways at me and smiled while blushing ever so slightly. Each shade of red getting cuter and cuter by the moment.

The rest of the day consisted of boring classes and me happily walking Bella to class after class. I think she worried that what I was doing was unpractical and unnecessary, but I didn't mind one bit. In fact, I fucking loved it. More than she even knew. Each time she'd head into a different class, I'd plant a light kiss on her cheek, lightening up from our almost-make-out-session in the halls earlier today.

The end of the day bell rang and when I headed to Bella's last class of the day, this time she wasn't the first out of the room like normal. I waited until eventually everyone had evacuated the room. I decided to make sure that everything was okay, and walked into the room. I spotted her standing next to her desk, grimacing and rubbing her arm soothingly. What poor motherfucker was I going to have to beat up today?

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly, while quickly making my way across the room to her. I reached out to replace her hand-rubbing motions with my own, but she batted my hand away before I had the chance to make contact.

"Edward, don't worry about it," She sounded exhausted, "Someone just bumped into my arm and it's a little sore, that's all. It's not a big deal or anything." The slighest bit of frustration filled her tone as I nodded in understanding. I didn't like the idea that she was hurt, but at least I had let her know that I cared about her. I really fucking did, and I'd go to the ends of the world to show her. I just hadn't figured out how I was suppose to do it yet.

I gave Bella some space as she continued to rub her arm. We eventually headed for the Volvo and as we walked out the doors, I slipped my arm around her waist once again. Each time I'd do it, I'd notice every time how her frame basically was made so that my arm could go there. This time when we were walking, she seemed a lot more hesitant, and maybe even a little worried. I desperately wished to know what was running through that girls head when she pulled away suddenly. Her sad eyes bore into mine and we stared at each other for a long moment.

I stared back in confusion, not knowing what her eyes were telling at me, while she stared at me with sort of like some unmet expectation of some shit. I had no clue, and before I knew it, I saw the littlest bit of water fill up in the corner of her eyes. If I hadn't been looking so closely, I wouldn't have noticed that slightest moisture. Someone was calling from a distance.

"Go home you little bitch, no one wants you hear!" A recognizable voice shouted from not too far away. "You don't deserve him. You don't deserve a life!" I snapped my head up and almost growled at Victoria. My glare told her to back-the-hell-off-if-you-want-to-live-until-tomorrow. I didn't give a shit whether she was a girl or not. I'd hit her if I had the chance.

When I turned back to Bella, the moisture had grown a little more, and I didn't know what to do. I mean sure, it was an absolute horrible thing to hear, but I had thought she was use to it by now. Normally, she didn't get worked up by little comments like that, so I figured that there was something else wrong.

"I can't. . .Edward, I can't—. . .I can't do this. . ." She was almost stuttering at whatever she was trying to say as her voice cracked. She turned around to walk away when it suddenly clicked. The reason she was upset had nothing to do with Red-Head's comment, or anything like that. I got it now.

"What are you scared of?" I called after her, letting my feet carry me a few steps forward. I knew what was wrong. I should have known what she was feeling all along.

She instantly stopped and spun around to face me, looking angry and confused at the same time. She took a few steps back towards me. "Excuse me?" Her voice was shaking slightly as her eyes narrowed and they stared into mine.

"You're just scared, Bella." I told her with absolutely no hesitation in my voice, taking another step closer to her so that we were now only a few feet apart. I didn't care much for the distance, but I gave her her space.

She tilted her head to the side and her face became cold. "And why would that be?" If I thought her face was cold, her voice was even colder. I couldn't let her be all alone anymore. I couldn't let her be so god-damn bitter.

I took a deep breath and stared directly into those chocolate eyes, making sure that her eyes were holding my gaze as well. "You're scared that someone might actually want to be with you." I turned around and closed my eyes, shaking my head at the realization of how true those words really were. I did want to be with Bella. I wanted to be the person that she trusted, and the person she'd always come to. I wanted to be the guy who got to hold her while she cried, who wiped her tears with kisses, and the person who'd take care of her.

After a minute or two, I turned back around to face her. I wasn't surprised that her eyes were wet, but it still hurt either way. Seeing her cry was one of the one things in life that I couldn't take. I hadn't meant for her to cry. She stared at me with a heartbreaking expression, her big eyes melting into mine, when she slowly walked to me and wrapped both arms completely around my torso. I gently folded my arms around her small body as well, and breathed in the scent of her hair. I held her close to my body, feeling the warmth of her skin radiating to mine.

We were both holding each other together, neither letting go for fear of being broken again. Just needing each other. I needed Bella, I had also come to realize. I needed her now like I needed the air to breathe. There wasn't any going back now, because I was going to do whatever it took to get her. As weird as it was, the thought of being separated was oddly painful. I knew, like I had all along, that she needed me as well. And that's why I wasn't giving up.

"Don't be scared, Bella," I whispered tenderly to her, brushing her hair away from her beautiful face. "I'm right here, and you're okay. You're safe." Those seemed like the words she needed to hear, so I said them. I said them with all the honesty in the world.

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**Alright, so I know this chapter was sort of short, but that's because I ended it on the best spot I could. Also, nothing overly important really happens in it, (Well, sort of...but you know...yeah...) So anyways, my main goal in the next few chapters will probably be more to establish B & E's relationship more. I know that's what you're all wanting(:**

**_Reviews are better than an Edward back-the-hell-off-if-you-want-to-live-until-tomorrow glare._  
**


	11. So Contagious: Acceptance

**Here's Ch. 11!  
Feedback is GREATLY appreciated.  
I think this is my longest chapter so far, so yeah...Hope you guys like it!  
Hah, there's really not much else to say.**

**The song for this chapter is** _**So Contagious – Acceptance**_**  
Many of you probably aren't familiar with it, and if you're not I strongly recommend it.  
The reason I chose it was because of the whole mood of the lyrics throughout the song, and how lovely they fit into the feelings of Edward and Bella.  
(--You can listen to this song by heading to my profile and clicking the link to my website!--)**

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**BPOV**

I felt safe. I had never ever heard those two words being said to me before. _You're safe_. With the sureness of his voice, and the comfort of his embrace, I _felt_ safe. For the first time in my life, I knew that Charlie couldn't touch me. The pain in my shoulder was starting to seer, but I ignored it and tried to only focus on Edward's arms holding me close.

Edward was right. I didn't know how right he was until he actually said something out loud. I was scared, but all for different reasons. I was scared for fear of being separated from Edward permanently. I was scared that Charlie would just continue to get rougher and rougher along with the more amount of time I'd spend with Edward and the Cullen's. Most of all, I was scared of being hurt again. Edward's intentions always seemed good and pure, but what if he suddenly changed all of that? What if he suddenly discovered that I really wasn't as great as he always thought I was. Then I'd be completely all alone. I didn't know if I could bear that feeling again.

His arms continued to encircle me; His embrace around my body felt so safe. Edward was like my halo, his light and radiance absorbed into my skin, making me feel a sense of hope and security. That twinkle of hope was telling that the everyone would be alright, and for just a moment, I didn't doubt it. Being there with Edward, I realized something. I realized that for my whole life, I had been robotic and willing to everyone's requests of me. Charlie would hit me, I wouldn't comply. Victoria would bitch at me, I wouldn't speak. James would assault me, I wouldn't press charges. That's how it worked. That's how it had always worked.

Now, it felt like that all was changing. My will-power felt stronger than ever, and that confidence that had once filled me was there again. Every nerve in my body felt like a live wire. I pulled away from Edward with possibly the biggest smile that had ever came across my face. His face was bewildered and confused, and it was a really weird thing to notice at the time, but he had become impossibly more good-looking since the first time we met. It came out of nowhere when I suddenly leaned up on my tip toes and pecked a kiss on his surprised lips. The confusion that was there before vanished completely from his face, and was replaced with exhilaration.

He took my face firmly in his hands and planted light kisses all over my face. On the tip of my nose, on both cheeks, gently on my eyelids, and on my chin. He pulled back just inches to gouge my expression which was joy. I noticed his eyes zeroing in on the last place I knew he wanted to kiss. My lips. I parted them ever so slightly just before he lightly placed his own on them.

Looking at Edward and his personality, you'd never expect his lips to be so. . ._soft_. They were though, and I pouted my own lips into his while he took my bottom lip and gently sucked on it. I did the same with his top one. He placed one hand on my back to pull me closer to him, and the other lightly stroked my cheek. I brought both my arms up and wrapped them around his neck, tangling my fingers into his messy bronze hair.

This kiss was different than the one in the hallway this morning. It was more sweet, tender. When Edward and thrown his lips against mine in front of everyone, I knew he was doing it for me. That was obvious by his smirk towards Vicky when he pulled away. I didn't know what to think about it at first, but then I realized that I had liked it. A lot. Then, I was afraid that Vicky would eat me alive in English after just witnessing what she had, but Alice was there, and bless her little her. _She stood up for me_. I believe her exact words had been some along the lines of, "Back the hell off you skanky-ass bitch." Even I couldn't hold back my snickers from that one.

The way Edward was kissing me now though, I just didn't know. It was like I couldn't think straight. He had me wrapped up with all of my thoughts always about him. I was becoming obsessed, and was afraid that I wouldn't be able to stop when I needed to. I sighed happily and pulled away, satisfied enough that I thought it was an okay time to stop.

Edward smiled crookedly at me which caused me to forget whatever I was about to say to him the moment before. So I enjoyed it, and smiled right back at him. Once my thoughts finally came back to me, I swallowed nervously. "Edward, do you think I could come over after school?" I couldn't go home to Charlie. My new plan was to stay away from him as much as absolutely possible.

He stroked lightly right under my cheek bone, causing the blood to rush to my face. "That's not even a question, Bells. You don't even have to ask." His tone was obvious. I hadn't known I was so welcome there, so I had to ask. I grinned and glanced towards the parking lot that now only consisted of a few cars. He took my hand in his and lead me to the Volvo.

"Bella!" Alice cried as Edward and I stepped inside, throwing her arms around me. "I didn't know you were coming, Edward never told me! Oh, this'll be so fun, Rose and I can give you a makeover!" I stared at her in disbelief, but shook it off quickly and laughed nervously. The thought of a makeover made me cringe the slightest. I wasn't the Barbie doll type. Edward squeezed my hand lightly.

"Al, leave poor Bella alone," Emmett laughed as he came into view. He had half a cookie shoved in his mouth and was wearing a cooking apron. Why did I always seem so surprised when Emmett was cooking? I guess I had always thought of him as a tough-guy jock. You can't judge a book by its cover, I reminded myself.

"Bella doesn't mind," She scolded then turned to beam at me, "Do you, Bella?" I shook my head assuringly at her and smiled nervously as convincing as I could. Edward studied my expression, making sure I was okay. I gave him a tiny nod letting him know that I was.

"Well, Rose is waiting upstairs," Alice told me grabbing my hand and tugging me away from Edward. He laughed and held on tightly before releasing. Alice rolled her eyes at how pathetic the two of us were. She narrowed her eyes playfully at Edward. "You, no coming up or peaking until we're done. You'll have plenty of time to play with Bella afterwards, so go and find Jazz and entertain him – He's bored outta his mind." Edward smirked at his little sister and gave me one last nervous glance before walking out of the room.

I had no idea of what Rose and Alice's possible intentions for me were, but when the had me sit in a chair in front of a colossal mirror in their bathroom, filled with products galore, I shut my eyes and imagined what Edward was doing at that very moment.

I heard Alice instructing Rose on how my hair would go, and what places to curl it while Rose tugged and pulled at it, sticking in and taking things out. Alice soon began working on my face. She started spreading on various make-up and foundations, making my skin glamorous, as she had assured me. I never wore make-up, not unless I needed to for a Charlie cover-up, so I was nervous how this would all turn out.

The fear of what would happen when I got home never once left me, I just pushed it aside many times to the best of my ability. I decided that I should enjoy the good things while they lasted, and not dwell on the bad.

While Alice was applying product to my eyes, she asked curiously, "So, you really like my brother, don't you?" I had yet to open my eyes as instructed, but I almost slipped and peaked to see what her expression looked like. Her tone sounded smug.

"Yeah," I answered simply, not sounding to eager, "He's nice." I heard both her and Rose huff in displeasure. My answer seemed modest enough, so I was confused.

"Details, Bella," Rose told me impatiently, curling yet another chunk of my hair. What details was I suppose to tell them? I was new to this all, so I had no idea what "details" I was suppose to be sharing. And to be honest, it's not like there even were many to be shared at all. Yeah, we kissed a couple of times. We also held hands constantly, and were always close to each other. Was I suppose to tell them that? I just went along with what I assumed to be the right answer.

"Well, he's always really sweet to me," I told them shyly, feeling the blush reach my cheeks. Alice had once told me how pretty it had made my skin look. I recalled Edward saying something along those same lines once too.

"Well we knew _that_ already, we meant _how's_ he sweet?" I could hear the excitement in Rosalie's voice as she eagerly awaited my answer. I wasn't expecting all of these interrogating questions when I came up here, so I was unprepared and at a loss for words. I was afraid that Edward would possibly be mad at me if I told them to much.

"He always holds my hand," I hedged slowly, hoping it was enough. It wasn't. They made me keep going, assuming that there was more. "Um, he hugs me a lot?" I said it sounding more like a question. Did Alice just let out a little squeal? Alright, things were getting a little. . .weird. I figured they were satisfied by my answers so I stopped.

Rose just wasn't going to quit though. "Has he kissed you?" She asked curiously while Alice murmured in agreement with her question. I bit my lip and nodded nervously, keeping my eyes shut and bracing myself for whatever odd reaction they'd have next.

They both squeaked excitedly and exchanged their comments, "Oh my god, how cute!" Alice had sang. "That's is _too_ cute!" Rosalie agreed with her happily. I was almost expecting them to start dancing around the room with how happy they seemed. What was the big deal anyways, people kissed all of the time. _They_ kissed all of the time, and you didn't hear me wanting to throw a party because of it.

Alice kissed my forehead cheerfully as Rose squeezed my shoulders excitedly before they both went back to "pretti-fying me" as Alice had put it. I had rolled my eyes at that. Her and her terms. Rosalie continued to curl and put up different pieces of my hair while Alice continued to put my make-up on. I was really nervous at how I'd turn out. Even more nervous because Edward was in the house, and he'd see me if I looked awful.

So far, I was trusting these two girls though, because judging on both of their appearances, they sure had no problem with making themselves look beautiful. I had never once felt beautiful, because I wasn't. Edward always told me I was, but I guess I just couldn't see what he did. I was ordinary, plain, and definitely nothing special.

I started getting ancy after a while, and got scolded by both Alice and Rose several times for fidgeting too much. A half hour later, Alice declared that they were finally done. Right as I was about to open my eyes, two hands gently clamped over the top of them, being careful not to smudge the make-up. "You can't look yet," Rose cried frantically, "We have to dress you too!"

I groaned quietly and let them lead me into what I could only assume to be one of their rooms. I wouldn't have known; I couldn't see anything. I was horrified at the possibilities of what they would dress me in. Even though the fear wasn't as strong as it would have been with Charlie, I was still scared. What could they possibly put me in?

Rose led me to a bed and allowed me to sit down only if I promised to keep my eyes shut. I wasn't about to battle with either of them, so I gladly agreed and listened to the sounds of them searching through drawers and closets. There was once a knock on the door, but Alice barked profanities and something about self-dignity before the knocker gave up and went back downstairs. I wondered which one of the guys it was.

"Hmm, what about this color, Al?" I heard Rose asked puzzled.

"No, definitely not that color. It won't look right with her skin. Wait. . .what's Edward's favorite color?" Oh god, they wouldn't. Alice practically applauded herself for her apparent smart thinking and they soon began raiding through the blue's of her wardrobe. "Yes, perfect idea!" Rose's voice was approving.

Another fifteen minutes passed on them arguing and deciding when they finally found the right outfit. Alice instructed me to stand up, and I did slowly, letting them discard my clothes from my body. I was wary as to what their expressions would be once they saw both bandages on my arms. The cut and the burn.

"Holy shit, Bella," Rose gasped, appalled, "What the hell did you do to both your arms?" I heard Alice gasp as well after noticing my gauzed up arms too. Thank god I had wrapped them both up the previous night otherwise that evil C would be flaunting itself for the world to see at that very moment.

I quick thought of a brilliant response that wouldn't involve a lot of questioning. "Well," I pointed at the arm with the cut on it, "This one is from my car door. I was fumbling around in the garage in the dark trying to close it when it cut me." I explained slowly. "And this one," I pointed at the wrapped up burn on my shoulder, "This is from cooking. I was baking dinner and I set the pan on the counter, and without paying attention, I leaned up against it and it burned me." I had become I very good liar over the years. I had to have.

"Talk about bad luck," Rose muttered sympathetically. Alice murmured in agreement, and I knew I had fooled both of them. The only problem with my lies were how guilty I felt afterwards. Especially people that were kind to me and didn't deserve being lied to. This was a perfect example. So I made it up to them secretly by holding in all of my whining and complaining as they dressed me and made finishing touch ups.

After an hour and a half, they both announced that they were finally done. I hesitantly opened my eyes, afraid of what I'd see. Of what I'd look like. Before I inspected what I was wearing, I studied the room around me. It was twice the size of my room, even bigger than Edward's had been. It was painted in about every shade of orange you could imagine. The huge bed was in the center, and there were dressers and counters against every inch of available wall space.

Except for on the west wall, where the whole wall was occupied by a mirror. At first, I saw Alice and Rose's eagerly excited faces in the reflection, then I took a closer look at the girl standing next to them. I took a closer look at _me_. If I thought I was ordinary before, what Rosalie and Alice had done to me had made me farthest from the definition of plain. My jaw fell open before I could stop it.

On my legs, there were skin-impossibly-tight white skinny jeans. At first I thought they'd be hard to move in, but I wiggled my legs the slightest bit and the fabric was surprisingly flexible. For my top, they had chosen a gorgeous royal blue baby-doll fit long sleeve shirt. I secretly thanked them for picking long sleeves verse short so that Edward wouldn't notice my most recent injury. I was surprised at how much I liked the shirt. It felt like it fit my body just right, in fact, it _looked_ like it fit my body just right. The element that captured my attention most was how the bra that Alice had ordered me to wear gently pushed both of my breasts together and up, and had an enhanced amount of cleavage poking out.

Rose had explained to me the wonders of a push-up bra, and I thought that maybe I'd ask to borrow one sometime. I then moved on to study my hair. Rosalie had done something I'd never seen before, curling some strands, crimping some, and just leaving some straight, while taking and putting some of it up into a half pony that was messily-perfect on the center back of my head.

What Alice had done with my face, it was incredible. I was in awe by the way the little bit of eyeliner and mascara highlighted and outlined my eyes perfectly, making them center of attention. She hadn't put on much eye shadow, promising me she wasn't going to over do it, and after seeing what she had done, I wasn't about to complain one bit. The color was a very light shade of the blue I was wearing, and there was just the littlest, perfectest amount to bring out my eyes even more. I almost forgot that the girl in the mirror was me, and I had to keep reminding myself that it was.

For the first time in my life, I felt _sexy_. It was a feeling I thought I'd never get a chance to experience, but I felt it now. After hearing so much about how sexiness always equaled confidence, I _felt_ that confidence. I felt like I could really be as beautiful as Edward said I was. I was suddenly very anxious for his reaction, and did the best I could to hold back the impatience I had to get downstairs and find him.

For the millionth time that day, Alice squealed loudly and began throwing me numerous compliments to me and herself and Rose at what an amazing job they did. Each time she'd praise herself, I didn't argue once because I felt she deserved it.

"Edward's going to just _eat _you in this," Rose told me excitedly, laughing at the same time with pleasure. Alice laughed along with her. "We'll have hooked that poor sucker up and caught him like a fish once he sees you." I grinned and giggled a little along with them. "No, seriously Bella," Alice got in between gasps of laughter. "You'll have him wrapped around your finger. Poor boy's gonna be head over heels tonight."

They had invited me to stay for dinner and hang out a little while afterwards. I couldn't help but be a little more than a lot excited. I always enjoyed spending time with them, and by what both of them were saying about what Edward's reaction would be, I couldn't wait. I was absolutely thrilled. And yet, I felt like I was forgetting something.

. . ._Charlie_. I had forgotten him completely for just a few moments. Now I remembered, and I was afraid again. I feared that once again, he wouldn't be too pleased with my absence away from him yet another night. I knew that there'd be a punishment when I got home, but I'd take it in trade for the night I was about to have. Worrying about him would ruin everything, and I had to push him away completely from my thoughts like I had before. It wasn't going to be easy, but I knew as the night progressed that I would eventually.

"I'm going to go tell him to wait at the bottom of the stairs," Rose told us before disappearing from the room. I didn't think I looked _that_ great. I mean, did I really need to go down a runway for him? This was going to be embarrassing. _Remember that confidence_, I reminded myself reassuringly.

Alice grinned at me. "Are you ready Bella? This is gonna be great, I only wish that we could have had more time, but you know Edward, he was texting me from downstairs the whole time about how impatient he was. Boys." She rolled her eyes and giggled. I didn't know what she meant by more time, I thought an hour and a half was more than plenty. I spent five minutes if not less in the mornings getting ready. This suddenly had me curious of what time Alice woke up every morning for her own preparations.

Only seconds later, Rosalie darted back into the room with a smug smile on her face. "He's waiting," She and Alice both laughed while I chuckled nervously. Alice noticed it and she rolled her eyes skeptically, "Bella, stop worrying," She snapped at me, "You look totally sexy. It's _Edward_ who you should be worrying about." That got them going in another round of laughter. I had to admit that it was sort of funny at how often this guy got teased by his sisters.

"Okay, let's go," Alice sang, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room. She grabbed the bad arm and I cringed a little, but shook off and hid the pain quickly from my face before capturing unwanted attention. Once we were at the top of the stairs, Edward came into view with his back facing us. He was about to turn around when Alice shrieked loudly at him and sprinted down the stairs. Rose and I stood at the top, staring at each other and rolling our eyes. I liked Rosalie.

Alice threw her hands over his eyes in a less-than-gentle manner while he grumbled in protest. "Alice, get off, stop. What's the big deal?" She beamed and nodded at me to come down the stairs. It was a long walk, and thank god they didn't put me in heels or anything otherwise I would have just stumbled the whole way down.

As I approached the bottom, Alice's smile got impossibly wider than it had been all day. I stepped off of the last stair and just stood there, waiting for whatever her plans were next. Alice finally removed her hands from his face and he sighed in relief.

"You're luck we're family Al, or I would be charging you for sexual assau–" Right as he spun around in my direction, he froze in place. His eyes became twice their original size. His sudden intake of breath caused his mouth to drop open and he blinked quickly a couple of times. I stared back up at him through my eyelashes, biting my lip nervously. His green eyes were warm and they looked back into mine with shock. They soon left my eyes and trailed down the rest of my body. I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.

Both Rose and Alice had remained silent too, both focused intently on Edward's reaction. They were holding back pleased laughs. I remained standing still in, waiting for him to say something. It didn't look like he was going to be able to speak anytime soon. That thought brought a small smile to my face, and my slow smile caused Edward to snap back to life.

He smile crookedly at me, my favorite smile, and took a step towards me. "Bells," He whispered, barely audible. Suddenly, the distance was apparently too much for him. "Come here, you," He took one long stride before pulling me tightly to his chest. "You're so fucking beautiful,"He repeated in my ear over and over, and for once, I didn't doubt him.

Alice was scolding at him about how he was going to smear the make-up. He raised and arm and flipped her off before pulling me back into his tight embrace. It felt so right, and it was definitely something I could get used to. The pain in my arm wasn't unnoticeable, it was just overshadowed by the sensation of comfort that Edward was sending through my body.

I heard Rose and Alice's pleased snickers as Edward continued to hug me and shower me with compliments. I wasn't used to being thought so highly of before, so I took it in. Each kind thing he'd tell me, I'd plant a light kiss on his cheek, his nose. The girl's snickers turned into sweet sighs as Edward held my face in his hands and firmly pressed his lips to mine. It was only for a short moment though, because Alice had been right about the make-up.

The way his eyes were looking into mine dazzled me. Alice got impatient and cleared her throat, pulling our attention away from the other. We both stared at her questioningly as she smiled smugly at us. It was starting to get awkward, so I stared down at me feet. Edward naturally reached his hand over and linked his fingers with mine.

"So?" Alice asked anxiously, bobbing up and down happily. I wondered if she ever got tired. I'd feel bad for Edward and the rest of the family if she didn't. I looked up at her and realized she was starting at me so I looked back down and blushed. Edward chuckled.

"Thank you, Alice," He told her genuinely and then turned to Rose, "You too, Rose." What was he thanking them for? Surely he wasn't still referring to me. They both grinned and nodded back at him. I gave them both a small smile as well.

"Well, now that you're done," Edward started, pulling me closer to him and wrapping his arm around my waist, "Do you mind if I borrow Bella for a bit? I've been dying to show her this one place." I almost sighed in relief. Anything to get away from the weird glances that both girls kept shooting me. This also had me curious of where he was talking about – He had already shown me the whole house.

He lead us to the door and turned around to study me once again. His eyes lingered down my body and back up to my face as he frowned. I bit my lip nervously. "Hmm. . ." He paused thinkingly. "You're going to need to wear a jacket, it's getting cooler outside than I thought." We were going outside? Oh, great. This outfit wouldn't be that much comfortable for long.

"I didn't bring a jacket," I told him warily, frowning a little. He quickly smiled at me and suddenly released my hand and disappeared, only to return seconds later, carrying a leather jacket in his hands with a huge grin on his face.

"You can wear this Bells, it might be a little big, but it'll for sure keep you warm," He informed me cheerfully as he stood behind me and helped me slide my arms in. I did it as slowly and carefully as I could without being noticeably in pain. My arm was starting to burn again with a stinging sensation. I tried to hide the pain from my face though, hiding it away from Edward's notice.

Once the jacket was on and zipped up, I looked down and inspected myself and moaned. It looked horrible on me. Normally I wasn't one to care about my appearance, but this was just bad. I looked like a slutty-wannabe-biker-girl. Edward let out a low laugh and kissed me on the forehead. I was surprised at how comfortable I had been lately about our newly found intimacy.

"You look perfect," Even I couldn't doubt the honesty in his voice, so I beamed at him and felt the blush creeping up my cheeks. He reached out to stroke one gently with his thumb, then opened up the door and stepped outside.

He held out his hand for me to take as I stepped down, following his lead. I let my eyes close momentarily, inhaling deeply the scent of fresh spring air. I secretly was taking deep breaths of the wonderful scent of Edward and leather mixed together. They were a surprisingly good combination.

Edward led me through his backyard and into the forest. I was a little nervous how I'd make my way through the twigs, sticks, and bushes, but there seemed to be a little make-shift path to take. He squeezed my hand gently, letting me know that everything was okay. For once, everything _felt_ okay.

**EPOV**

She had me completely, and she didn't even realize it. It was like I was just seeing her for the first time. Not because of the makeover, but because of how easy and carefree she was being. The confidence was radiating off her, making her more beautiful than I ever imagined she could be, and she didn't even know it.

When I turned around to look at her, it was like someone slapped me in the face. It was like a much needed wake-up call, telling me that this girl was worth fighting for. She was worth whatever it took to get her, and I'd do whatever it took. I was fucking hooked, just like a drug. Her tiny hand felt warm and secure in mine as I led her to one of my favorite places.

I knew she'd love it, based on some of the information I had gathered on earlier when we first met. Her outfit was beginning to become a problem for me. I couldn't stop steeling peeks and glances at her very tightly fit pants, and very perfectly fit shirt. I had always guessed that Bella was petite, but the girl had a figure. She had curves in all of the right places, and I was just seeing them now. Every time I'd look, her cleavage would be taunting me. Her breasts were perfectly rounded, and squeezed nicely together just enough to make me go crazy.

I didn't know why I was loosing it like this, but it had to stop soon, before I did something really fucking stupid. Yeah, I'd definitely need to cut that shit out soon. But those incredible collarbones. . .I was instinctively licking my lips. I wondered how they'd taste if I were to kiss them. _Fuck off, Edward!_ I told myself sternly, internally kicking myself for even thinking such things about Bella. This wasn't the way she deserved to be thought of like, and I remembered the promise I'd made to protect her from the guys who _did_ think of her like that.

I hadn't realized at the time that I'd be protecting her from myself as well. Real fucking pathetic. Instead of focusing on her body, I went for her face. I really had to give it to Alice, at first at the mention of a make-over, I pictured the overly-slutty make-up that most girls wore. Alice gave Bella an innocent amount that brought out her chocolate eyes ever more than I had ever expected.

I had realized that we were almost at our destination when she yawned quietly next to me. She must not have gotten much sleep over the weekend, and I was a little pissed off at myself for making her come with me and walk through the forest. I always could have shown her another time, but since we were practically there, I just continued to lead her slowly, setting a nice, easy pace.

Once we arrived at the small clearing, I brought us both to a stop and looked around at the place. I remembered first finding this place when we moved here, and had gone to it often. She was also looking around, her wide eyes filled with curiosity. I waited until her eyes met mine and cleared my throat. "I like to come here a lot," I told her, pausing and looking around some more.

"It's very beautiful," She said, sounding unsure. She hadn't let me finish.

"I come here a lot _because_," I answered her unspoken question, "Because it's the perfect place to watch the stars." I may have hated learning about them, but I never minded watching them. That was one thing I remembered that Bella and I shared in common, and that's why I knew she'd like this place. The trees opened in a perfect circle, and the meadow below consisted of soft, blanket-like grass that you could easily get lost in. It was like a fairy tale. Fuck, did I really just think that? Where the hell was all of this sappy crap coming from? I quickly realized that I didn't care, because I knew Bella didn't either.

Her eyes became wide, and then tender. She noticed also how good of a place it was. I hesitantly continued, "You know, cause I remember you telling me how much you like the stars. . ." I paused and glanced down at her. "I like them too." Her sweet smile lit up my heart as she gently rested her forehead on my shoulder. I held on to her hand tighter.

"I know it's not dark enough, or the right time yet, but I promise that I'll take you back here sometime. If you'd like." She didn't take a second to think about it before nodding quickly. I rested my head on top of hers and enjoyed such a serene moment. Moments like these made me realize how wrong of an aspect that I had on dating before moving here. Bella showed me what it was like; What it _should_ be like.

The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon when I remembered Alice and her mention of dinner. I didn't know if Bella was hungry or not, but to be on the safe side I figured it was a good idea to head back to the house. The rest of the family was probably wonder where we had disappeared to.

This time, on the walk back, I did a better job keeping my eyes to myself. After taking the time to really realized how special Bella was, that was what got me to snap out of my teenage-boy-hormonal-self. Instead, I took the time to appreciate the little things. Like how every time I'd steal a glance at her face, she'd blush like fucking crazy and it'd light up her face. Or her soft breaths that eased all of my tense worries. Most importantly, her soft hand in mine, making me know that I had some sort of purpose.

We entered through the back door that lead directly to the kitchen. Sure enough, Esme was preparing dinner with Carlisle at her side. She heard us and turned around with a warm smile on her face. She quick shot me a knowing look while coming to greet us both. "Oh Bella honey, you look so gorgeous," She hugged her enthusiastically while Bella mumbled her thanks and blushed again.

"I hope you both are hungry," Carlisle was now also standing in front of us. It hadn't escaped my notice how his eyes lingered down to the hand I had locked around Bella's. As unashamed as I was, I grinned widely at him, while he smiled and nodded back at me. "We made Italian foods of sorts." He informed us proudly. Carlisle normally wasn't the cook of the family, but he always wanted to help. Fucking suck-up. I almost smirked at his willingness to do whatever Esme pleased. I wasn't upset about it though, or even bothered in the slightest; I couldn't have ever asked for a better person for my mom. After all that Esme had been through, she _deserved_ him.

Avoiding anymore awkward conversation, I pulled Bella along into the dining room. The others weren't anywhere in sight, but the table was set for eight, so I knew they'd be coming. And I was right. Not long after the smell of food began to linger throughout the whole house, one by one slowly made their way down to the dinner table.

"Smells good hubby, we did good," Esme beamed adoringly at Carlisle, rubbing a hand tenderly up his chest before both sitting down. Normally I didn't think such things about adult couples, but they were a hell of a couple – I never got tired watching my mom always look at him like she was still in the stages of new love. Hell, maybe she was.

Not long after we all dug in like the pigs we were, Esme started the conversation. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I had lately been noticing that it was her thing to do. She really enjoyed talking and starting small talk, which was the opposite of me. A lot of times, words would come out and I'd just end up fucking everything I said up. That's why I liked to keep my mouth shut most of the time.

"It's nice to see you here again, Bella," Her heart-shaped face smiled sweetly at Bella, then at me as well. How could I refuse not to respond appropriately to that? As happy as I was, I just grinned right back at her, and then watched Bella swallow her food and wipe her mouth politely.

"It's nice to be here, Esme," She told my mom with that Bella-confidence that I loved. It just made me so god-damn happy to hear it. Hell, I was almost considering starting a fucking glee club by the way the day had been going. I knew Alice would be my first member; The little pixie was practically squeaking throughout the whole damn meal at the sight of us. It was as if she had never seen me with a girl before. Hah, _if only_, I thought bitterly. If I could take all that shit back, I would; I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I was acting so weird tonight, doing things I never though I'd ever do – I was laughing at all of Emmett's lame-ass jokes, I was being nice to Rose and asking her shit like how her day went, I wasn't making fun of Jasper, and I was actually enjoying my parents presence. It felt like needed some serious fucking therapy if I kept these mannerisms up.

When we had all finished eating, I waited to see what Bella's plans were next. I was secretly hoping for her to stay just a little later, but I knew that she couldn't always be out too late because her dad would get mad. Still though, shouldn't she be entitled to have a little fun? Her eyes met mine and they looked. . .nervous? I couldn't tell.

"How late do you want me to stay, Edward?" She asked me, biting her lip. Oh yeah, that was fucking adorable too. Her eyes stared up at me through her long lashes. She didn't honestly expect me to answer that, did she? I mean, what the hell was I suppose to say? _Well Bella, to tell you the truth, I'd actually like you to stay here forever and ever if possible, so I can gaze into your pretty eyes_. Yeah, that's what I'd tell her, definitely.

"As long as you want," I told her matter-of-factly, "It's really not a problem how late you stay. We all love you here." At least I wasn't holding back as much anymore. She smiled and rolled her eyes at me. "No seriously, Bella, you don't have to bolt home right after dinner." She chuckled slightly then raked a piece of hair from her face.

"Just a little bit longer won't hurt I guess," Her eyes were starting blankly at nothing, and it almost sounded like she was talking to herself rather me. I wasn't protesting though, because any extra time I'd get with her, I'd use as wisely as possible. Why was I starting to sound like Gandhi? Shit, I needed a day with the guys really badly. I'd talk to Emmett about it later – He'd be game.

I decided to take Bella up to my room and just hang there for a while. Where else was I suppose to go? The living room was now occupied by Em and Rose, the third level was taken by Alice and Jazz, and the kitchen was taken by Carlisle and Esme. My bedroom seemed like as good a place as any. I just hoped I wasn't crossing a line or making anything awkward with having her be in it with me.

I mean, it wasn't like I was going to try to get her in my pants or anything, _definitely_ not. So I asked her if that's where she wanted to go and she nodded eagerly before thinking twice about. Good, at least now I knew it was uncomfortable or anything for her.

I opened the door and instantly let out a sigh of relief that I had cleaned my room over the weekend. Then I didn't have to feel like such a pig when company came. Who was I kidding, I never had company. Definition: At least I wouldn't seem like a fucking slob to Bella.

She released my hand and slowly walked over to my bed like she had last time. I just stood there for a moment before deciding that it was probably okay for me to sit next to her. Once again, it's not like I was going to start feeling her up, no matter _how_ pretty her tits looked. God, _focus Edward!_ You have seen women before, I reminded myself sternly.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on my pillow while I felt her eyes follow me. She reached over and began tracing the lines of my palm and fingers lightly with her own. She was sending tingles throughout my whole body as I breathed relaxedly. I opened my eyes and gazed up at the ceiling, letting her continue with her soft stroking.

"Edward," She suddenly whispered. I shot my eyes to hers and they were completely smoldering. "Will you play your guitar?" She bit her lip and nervously looked down and then back at me. I didn't answer at first before her voice turned into even less then a whisper. I wasn't sure if I even heard it at first. "Please, for me?"

She seriously thought I was going to say no to her? Hell, she didn't even need to throw in that little almost-whine – Which by the way, was too damn sexy for her own good and she didn't even know it. – She had me at 'Edward'.

Without moving my hand from her soft fingers, I sat up and I reached over and picked up my guitar. I never did really play for anyone, but if Bella wanted me to, I sure as hell wasn't about to refuse. I hesitantly look my hand that she had and brought it to the strings. The song I started strumming out indifferently wasn't even familiar to me. It was if the notes were just naturally coming, and whatever feeling inside of me was letting itself out.

Bella was staring at me, wide-eyed in awe as I continued to play this unfamiliar piece. I kept my eyes on her the whole time while playing, not being able to pull them away. The connection we had always seemed to have was definitely there, and I could some how feel that being put into the melody as well. I was never one for improvisation, but whatever I was playing at that moment sure didn't seem like I was making it up.

The song was familiar, yet completely foreign. I continued playing for a little while longer as Bella sat silently listening. I didn't mind playing for her, in fact, I'd play for anytime she'd ever want me to. Another promise to myself. The list was beginning to get long, but I knew by giving it all I had, I'd manage to accomplish everything on it. After all, I had already gotten her to smile. For now, that was enough for me.

Eventually the song slowly faded off, and without saying a word, I gently set the guitar down on the floor. Bella's eyes were unfocused and they weren't looking at me, but at something unknown. That's something I'd noticed about her from day one – She zoned out a lot. I was cool with it though, because really, how could I complain? Just having her here was enough.

I never good help but wonder what was constantly on her mind all of the time. "What are you thinking right now?" I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but it just sort of came. She suddenly snapped her eyes back to focus on mine. She gave me a small smile and reached over to take my hand and play with it again. We were now both facing each other, sitting cross-legged on my bed.

"That was stunning, Edward," Her voice was sweet and tender, and her words caressed my skin like velvet. "Really, it was beautiful. Beyond words. I didn't know you could play that way." Her honest little compliments meant more to me than she could ever even imagine. So many times I had thought about just giving up and quitting the damn thing, feeling like it was a wasted effort to even continue practicing. Her words were just the ones I needed to hear, so I smiled crookedly at her, the one that always seemed to make _her_ smile.

I was starting to surprise myself with all the little details that I had been picking up about this girl, but I guess that it was to be expected, given the amount of time we were together. I knew there was always something I was missing though. I had no clue what it even was, but I knew it was something. Many times I had decided whether or not to find out what that something was, but it just never seemed like the right thing to do. I knew she'd tell me when she was ready, and I'd respect her on that decision.

"Thanks Bells," I smiled at her genuinely as I reached my hand up to lightly stroke her cheek, causing my new favorite color to become present. She always made my heart do funny things, and she didn't even know it. She didn't know how much I cared about her, she didn't know how brilliant and beautiful of a person she was, she didn't know that she was special. That's why I needed to tell her, but I couldn't. I needed her to figure those things out on her own, because however many times I'd try, I could always see that doubtful look in her eyes. I needed to let her find herself, just like I had.

Sure, I'd definitely help her along the way, showing her these things the best I could, but I couldn't do it all. I knew that. A big part of it was how she looked at herself. Bella never saw herself clearly, but I think tonight, given the proper courage and confidence, she had. And fuck it, if having my whacked-out sisters give her a damn make-over everyday, I'd convince her to do.

It wasn't the make-up or the clothes that made her beautiful though, it was the confidence. I didn't ever want to see her look at herself with self-disgust any longer, because I just couldn't bare it anymore. I couldn't take that she thought about herself that way, and I'd make it stop. I'd make it better because I knew that I could, and that she deserved it. She had already saved me, after all.

After a moment of silence, I heard her sigh quietly and looked up to meet her eyes. They were sad. Broken again. I didn't know what to say or do, so I waited for her. She spoke quietly. "I think I should probably get home," I didn't want her to leave, but I knew she had to. Something about her tone suggested that she wasn't too thrilled about the separation either. Maybe that was just my imagination running wild.

"If you have to," I stood up and helped her steady herself as she stepped off of the bed. She cringed a little at a pain I didn't know, took a deep breath, and was in my arms before I knew it. She buried her face in my chest and held on tightly. Bewildered but willing, I hugged her back adoringly. She didn't let go for a long moment, and when she finally pulled her face away, I thought I caught a glimpse of moisture on her face.

I couldn't tell though, because her hair fell over her face as she stared at the ground. Was she crying? I panicked. Had I hurt her? God, I'd fucking kill myself if I had. I felt like such an ass. She even sniffed quietly once, and that was when I knew that she had for a fact been tearing up.

I didn't understand. Her face went from confident and happy, to suddenly pained and broken. I wanted more than anything to figure this out once and for all, but I restrained myself from asking. I wasn't about to start being a prick about it and bugging her. If she wanted to tell me, she could. I'd figure it out though, and I'd do it soon.

I kept my hand securely on her waist as we made our way to the front door. Her sad eyes looked up at me through her lashes once again, so I figured one more quick hug wasn't going to kill either of us. As much as I wanted to, I didn't push my luck for a kiss. I knew that now wasn't the time.

Pulling away from her embrace was the hardest thing. I wanted to keep her there and keep her safe from whatever she was fearing. I didn't want her to be scared anymore, and I wanted to show her that it was okay to live life to the fullest with no regrets. Instead, my lame-ass self planted a light kiss on her forehead like I was her fucking dad. She smiled slightly though, so I didn't beat myself up about it too much.

Right before she stepped outside into the darkness, she quickly turned around with wide eyes. "I should probably change, I bet Alice will want her clothes back," She was shaking her head embarrassedly. I just rolled my eyes at her. If anything, Alice would be over-joyed that Bella had a new outfit to wear.

I quickly reassured her. "No, trust me, Alice wants you to keep it." She grinned and let out a slight chuckle before the serious face came back again. I wanted to smooth out that crease in the center of her forehead and relieve her of all her stress. I was wanting a lot of things tonight, and none of them I could have.

"Goodnight, Edward," Her eyes flickered with just a hint of that earlier joy that had been sparkling in them. Words couldn't escape my mouth for some reason, so I nodded back and smiled at her, crossing my arms and leaning against the open door as I watched her get into her truck and drive away.

All I could think of in that moment was Bella. Her presence surrounded my very being as I registered in her scent, her face, her voice, her wind chime-like laugh, all into my mind. I wanted those to be the things that I could always remember in bad times. I wanted to remember _her_, always.

* * *

**Okay, confession time guys.  
I was still feeling horrible about Bella's burn, so I decided another light-hearted chapter would be best. Like I said last chapter, I'm trying to establish their relationship at this moment.  
This chapter was too damn fun for me to write. Seriously, I had a smile on my face the whole time. You gotta love fluff. And make-overs. XD  
**

**One last thing; Since the next chapter will start out in EPOV, you won't find out what happens to Bella when she arrives home. Here's your answer – Terrified as ever, she's relieved to find a passed out Charlie on the kitchen floor with twelve beer bottles scattered around the floor. She quickly heads up to her bedroom before he wakes up and notices.**

**You know what I'd absolutely love? Reviews.  
Yeah, I'd have to admit that I squeal and dance around just a little for each one I get.  
So yeah, just know that I love every one's feedback, all of the time.**

_**Reviews are better than an Alice/Rosalie make-over(:**_**  
**


	12. Broken Wings: Flyleaf

**Another long chapter for my lovelies(:  
Lots of stuff happens in this chapter, so feedback is greatly appreciated!  
Hmm. . .How 'bout a challenge?  
If you guys can get it to 350+ reviews, I'll post the next chapter EARLY.  
Impossible? I think not.**

**This chapter's song is** _**Broken Wings – Flyleaf**_**  
The reasoning behind my selection is because of the whole tone of the chapter.  
I strongly recommend reading through it, then listening to this song.  
It really is beautiful, and sorta perfect(:**

**This chapter is dedicated to my cousin Lauren.  
She passed away early this morning; Prayers would be greatly appreciated.  
Thanks,****  
--Justine**

* * *

**EPOV**

It was a slow night after Bella left. In other words, everyone was too busy playing fucking tongue hockey to pay any attention to me. First, I had walked into the living room, hoping to be able to watch some sports channel in high-depth on the flat screen. Wasn't going to happen for me; Rosalie was straddling Emmett's lap as he viciously kissed her face. Both too busy in their activities to notice me.

Then, I tried Jasper, checking to see if he was up for some polish ping-pong. I hadn't gotten back at him yet for last time. I swore I still had weld marks on my back. No such luck. I found the two in similar positions as Rose and Em had been, only little Alice was slightly less modest about it. This time, Jazz noticed me but pretended he didn't and continued to make-out shamelessly with my sister. Man was life fucked up.

I hadn't even bothered with checking to see what Carlisle and Esme were up to because I hadn't heard much talking from his study lately. I didn't know how much more I could take, so I spared myself and headed up to my room. Not knowing what to do, I decided that showering was a good option.

Oddly, I had always found being clean a necessity. Emmett had called me a pussy for washing myself so often, but I had just rubbed it in his ass many times when he came into the house smelling like shit after a game of football or something of that sort.

When I finished up, I slipped into a clean pair of boxers and laid on my bed, on top of the covers. I wasn't tired yet, nor was I going to sleep anytime soon, so I pulled out my iPod, turned it on , set in on my chest, and close my eyes to relax. I had always loved listening to songs on heartbreak and love and messed-up shit, only because of how honest the lyrics always were. I hated fake people who sang about drugs and knocking up their girlfriends.

It wasn't like I listened to frilly girly songs either; It was all alternative and stuff in that nature. So why were the lyrics in all of my favorite songs starting to sound related to something familiar? I hummed along quietly as I concentrated on the lyrics.

No one bugged me for the rest of the night. I'm not sure when, but at some point throughout the night I eventually dozed off, and the last thing I remembered hearing was the gentle renditions of Coldplay. Now, at six-thirty in the morning, the sound of the screeching alarm clock definitely _wasn't_ a gentle rendition. I cursed at it angrily, a pointless thing to do, then sigh and got out of bed. Before heading downstairs for breakfast, I checked my phone for any new messages. I opened it up and sure enough, a name that I was expecting flashed across the screen with that stupid little envelope popping up. It was from Tanya fucking Skankbag, there were several, and they read – **Eddy, I need you. I need you baby, I need you. **The next one read – **Orgasms aren't as fun unless you're the one providing them.** Oh, great, so she was masturbating with herself now? Or had she finally moved on? I rolled my eyes and grimaced at disgust from what the next one said – **I went out and bought a dildo last night, hoping that it would remind me of you. It didn't. Please come back, I want to connect again.** Shit, shit, shit. I had been doing so well forgetting all of that bullshit I had done in the past. Why did Tanya have to bring it right back up to the surface? It felt like there was the word _asshole_ stamped across my face.

I ignored all three messages, and brought my fingers across the keyboard and pressed the delete on her contact. I wondered why I hadn't done it earlier, but it was done now. I was starting to see similarities between Tanya and Victoria. I gritted my teeth angrily and reminded myself to always stay a good fifteen feet away from that crazy bitch unless Bella needed me.

I shook my head and made my way downstairs, mumbling random profanities at no one as I walked. The kitchen was empty, and I was a little disappointed that I was only getting cereal today. At least if Esme would have cooked, I would have maybe started the day off in a better mood. God, had I always took Esme for granted so much? It was time I just fucking grew up, as Emmett once said.

So I manned it out.

I made scrambled eggs.

Well. . .sort of. After gulfing down whatever the hell I had managed to produce from those poor eggs, I headed back up to my bedroom to get ready for the day. It was an average day in Forks today; Cold, rainy, and miserable. I still was wondering why the hell Carlisle chose this of all places to move to. Forks brought you to Bella, I reminded myself quickly before I could dwell on the negatives of this sorry-ass state. It _did_ bring me to Bella, and that was really all that actually mattered.

After I was all ready, I headed for the Volvo, deciding that arriving at Bella's just a little early wouldn't harm anyone. I was there in less than a minute due to the closeness of our houses. Once it got nicer out, I could maybe even just walk over and pick her up and walk back. If it _ever_ got nicer out, I reminded myself harshly.

So I eagerly stepped up and knocked on her front door, not knowing who to expect answering it. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I sighed in relief when Bella's shining face gazed anxiously at me. I hesitated if I should step in or not. For some reason, I knew her dad didn't care for me much. Charlie, was it? I thought I remembered her telling me his name.

"Sorry, I'm a little early," I apologized, "We can hang here for a little bit if you want?" She didn't take a second to hesitate on her answer before shaking her head quickly and glancing in the direction of what I assumed to be her father. Her anxious eyes looked up frantically for one second and then calmed quickly.

"No, that's fine, really, I don't mind being early," She told me quickly, stepping outside and shutting the door behind her without even a look back. I glanced back though, and I saw her father peering through the living room blinds. His face was less than pleasant. Yeah, my theory seemed to be getting more right by the visit. There was something about his expression towards me, towards Bella, that I felt should be recognizable. It was still too early for me to be able to think straight yet, so I pushed the thought out of my mind.

Before I even had the chance to, Bella reached over and took my hand, slipping her small fingers into mine. I was just now noticing what she was wearing. My eyes popped open wide before I could gain control of my expression. Luckily, she hadn't noticed me ogling her like the motherfucker that I was.

Today, she wore no make-up, which was just fine with me. Her jeans were unnaturally tight dark skinny jeans, which I figured Alice must have loaned her. I knew I'd be going to hell and back, for the shirt she was wearing today consisted of even more cleavage than last night. This time, I couldn't stop staring at her breasts. I couldn't help it, they were too perfect for her own good.

_Fuck off_, the voice inside of my head was saying, _this was Bella, remember?_ I reminded myself silently, then cursed inside of my head for being such a god-damn douche. Her shirt was a light, sky colored blue, and instead of like last night where it was only tight at the top, it was tight _everywhere_. Why was she torturing me like this?

I gritted my teeth and forced my eyes to stay on the road ahead. Bella had yet to say a word the whole drive, and I didn't feel very much in the mood for talking either, so I didn't. We arrived at school surprisingly only about ten minutes early, and small-talked quietly to each other for the remainder of time we had. Once the bell rang, we walked up together to the one class we shared with each other. Science.

The whole day consisted of the normal things. I would finish with whatever class I was in, then head quickly to where Bella was located. I'd walk her to each of her classes, planting a light kiss on her lips each time we parted. We all sat together at lunch and rambled on about nothing. The end of the day came surprisingly quick.

I drove Bella home. I would have asked her to do something, but I remembered her telling me she had plans to go to dinner with her dad. After I said goodbye and dropped her off, the rest of the day was incredibly and completely boring.

The next day, however, was different. Today, when Bella opened the door after driving to her house to pick her up, I sensed something was seriously wrong. Her face was glum, more so than usual, and her expression was worn. Like she had been up all night. I was worried that she might have been sick at first, but for now, she seemed okay.

Another well-selected outfit on her part. I had been noticing that more confidence was shining through in her wardrobe with whatever she wore. The clothes she was wearing were becoming more feminine, and every single one illustrated her petite figure perfectly. This was good and bad in ways. The only thing bad about it was how uncontrolled I became when I was around her. The urge to touch her constantly was always having to be beat back down with all the will-power I had in me.

Lately, I had been also noticing how much more of the male population's attention Bella was capturing. Sure, I was proud of her for beginning to show her sexy confidence, but I just didn't like it one fucking bit on the attention she had been getting. People's eyes were roaming in places they shouldn't have been, and that was another problem created due to her wardrobe selection. I didn't know how much more I could take before I kicked the ass of each sorry motherfucker who'd ever looked in her direction. It'd only be so long before I lost it.

And I did. It happened as I was picking Bella up from her Art class. She had been smiling and talking to Emmett happily as they both walked out of the room. Her smile grew even bigger when she spotted me. Em gave me a quick hello before running off to find Rosalie. So as we were about to head to lunch, the same dick-head who had grabbed her ass that one day in the cafeteria approached us.

Well, approached Bella. He acted like I wasn't even there. I had learned recently from Bella that his name was James. This was the guy she had dated for only a month. She had assured me though that it was a horrible part on her judgment, and that she would have never done it given different circumstances. I wasn't exactly sure what she had meant when she'd said it, but I had just nodded in understandment.

The first mistake James made, were the first words that left his mouth. "Hey sexy," He mused, not actually looking at her face, undressing her with his eyes. She didn't respond, avoiding his gaze as he took a step closer.

Then, second mistake – He "casually" shuffled his way in between Bella and I so that he was now standing in front of me. We were about the same height, but James was a lot bigger. Not muscularly bigger, just _thick_. I kept my face warily on Bella's, watching her reaction.

He reached up to touch his fingers carelessly to the soft skin on her cheek. I snapped my jaw into a hard line and glared at him. Bella's face showed the slight hint of fear, but mostly disgust. She was grimacing at him, and he was taking it the wrong way.

"How have you been lately, babe?" He purred very _non-_seductively into her ear, causing her to cringe and take a step back. "I haven't talked to you forever. We should catch up." His wink didn't go unnoticed. My fists bawled up at my sides.

"Leave me alone," She said sternly, taking a deep breath of courage. If I wasn't so frustrated, I probably would have smiled at how brave she sounded. James took a step too close and she started to shake. The braveness hadn't lasted very long until the shaking started to began. "Please." She almost begged. "Just stop." My nostrils started to flare as James stood, unmoving in front of Bella. She looked at me and her face was panicked. I had to do something.

So I stood protectively next to Bella and glared right at James. "She sad stop, asshole." I told him, letting the venom seep through my voice. I could feel Bella's body brushing against me as she inched closer to me, trusting me to let no harm come to her. That was my initial plan, and so far it was working. . .

Until that crazy motherfucker did the unthinkable. With one last taunting smirk in my direction, he lunged his hand right at Bella's left breast and groped it. No, grope was the wrong word. He fucking crushed it in his fat, meaty hand. Bella gasped in pain as she tried to back away. James wouldn't let her.

Without a second thought, I brought my fist back and with as much force I could exert into it, punched him right in the side of his face. That shook him up and sent him sprawling a few steps back, releasing his grip from Bella's chest. Her eyes were wide, staring at me in horror, moving from my fist to James's angry face.

"Fucking asshole, you did _not_ just do that," He spat at me along with a lot of other profanities, rubbing his face gingerly with his palm before viciously charging right at me. After practicing with Emmett so many times, I quickly dodged out of his path as he ran directly into a locker. The noise filled the hallway, causing numerous heads to turn in our direction.

Kids were beginning to form a circle around our small little gathering. James punched his fist at the lockers furiously, then turned back to me. His face was one hundred percent lethal as he slowly approached me. I only had a second to glance and see Bella's frightened face, staring at me in terror. She didn't have to be afraid though, because he wasn't after her anymore.

This time, James was more clever and I didn't see it coming. His hard foot made contact with my chest, sending me flying backwards, slamming my back against the concrete floor. I clutched my chest, trying to push away the pain as best I could. He smirked devilishly, coming at me again. _Shit_.

Neither him or I were expecting it when Bella suddenly jumped in between us. "Stop!" She cried, holding her hands out in front of me, leaning down and protectively guarding my body. "Don't touch him, stop!" She repeated. Funny how things worked out, I thought bitterly. Wasn't _I_ suppose to me saving _her_?

James chuckled once, humorously, then started laughing even louder. His eyes moved back and forth from me to her. So did everyone else's who were watching. Shit, what had I gotten us both into? His voice was bitterly taunting her. "Try and stop me, sweetheart."

Before I could get off of my ass and do anything about it, his hands lunged at her once again, this time gripping her shirt in his fists and throwing her backwards against a locker. I watched as the tears filled her eyes and she fell to the ground. "Dick head, what the hell?" I hollered loudly at him, scrambling to get up. And _finally_, a few teachers had broken through the anxiously watching crowd. The two gym teachers threw themselves at James, holding his struggling fists back and away from me.

A teacher I didn't recognize helped me up off of the floor quickly and asking me if I was okay. I didn't pay attention long enough to answer before I was on the floor once again, kneeling next to Bella, frantically trying to calm her. To take all of that pain she didn't deserve away. James' loud yells filled the hallway as they hauled him off to the Principal's office. They must've only seen the second half of the fight to be just letting me off the hook like that.

"I'm going to kill you, Cullen!" He screamed, still struggling against the now three teachers trying to keep him still. "I'm going to fucking kill you, just you wait! You and your bitch of a girlfriend better watch your back!" I didn't waste my breath by yelling after him.

Instead, I planted soft kisses all over Bella's face, whispering soothing things into her ear. "It's going to be all right," "You're okay," "Don't worry, you're safe, I've got you." She was wiping the tears off her face as they came, trying to keep them from coming all together. I didn't blame her though, he looked like he had shoved her really hard.

I stood up first, then scooped her tiny body into my arms, carrying her to the nurses office. This wasn't a problem because she probably weighed only around two pounds. The pain in my stomach all but forgotten as Bella whimpered in my arms. I didn't even care about my well-being anymore, I just wanted to make sure that she was okay. She nuzzled her face into my chest and kept it there, hiding it from the remaining students who were gawking at us both in awe.

"It's okay, Bells," I kept repeating to her, making sure that she knew it was the truth. When we eventually arrived in the nurses office, the little old lady seemed to be expecting us. I continued to hold Bella close as the other teachers in the room stared at me questioningly. I ignored all of their nervous glances as I sighed.

"Oh, you must be Edward. . .Cullen?" She asked, studying me and the girl in my arms. I nodded hastily, a little annoyed with how slow this was taking. "Yes, they said you might be showing up here soon. Just hang on one minute, dear." She told me, turning to walk away.

Un-fucking-believable. "Um, excuse me?" I called after her, walking to wherever she was going. "You need to make sure that Bella's okay. Now." It wasn't a question, or a request. My voice said it like a demand, and I was a little surprised at all of the authority that was in my voice. Bella stirred in my arms, staring up at me with her big brown eyes.

The nurse stared at me for a second as well, making whatever silent judgment over me before nodding hesitantly. "Well, I suppose that would be best, yes. Why don't you follow me, and then you can explain to me what happened?" I nodded and walked along, following the slow pace this women was setting. I was starting to get real fucking impatient, but tried to hold off the best I could without snapping again.

She lead me to a room with one of those uncomfortable mattress beds with the lining on them. I was trying to decide if I should just continue to hold on to her or not. I unwillingly laid her down on the padding, deciding it'd be best not to piss of the nurse anymore than my rudeness already had. Bella clung to my shirt, not letting go. I quickly assured her that I'd stay right there, and wouldn't leave.

"Okay, Edward," The nurse's uneasy voice came from behind me. She rested a hand on my shoulder, motioning for me to join her in the seat next to her. I gave Bella a regretful look as I stood up and sat down. "Why don't you tell me what happened?" You've got to be fucking kidding me. I read her name tag. There Bella was, moaning in pain as this sat there, wanting me to tell her some sort of story.

I took a deep, letting out a frustrated exhaled and began. "Well, she got forcefully shoved into a locker. Hard." Simple as that. If she was looking for more details, I was afraid that my control wouldn't be able to last much longer, and that I'd end up strangling her. She nodded understandingly, frowning a little bit.

"That's it?" She asked, puzzled. I stared at her, questioning her judgment _and_ sanity. I stared at her skeptically, keeping the anger from my face. This was beginning to get a little more than frustrating, and I was debating on whether or not I should just take her to Carlisle.

I nodded at her slowly. "I told you, this wasn't a normal shove. This was a full out, all force possible shove. I'm not sure how bad it hurt her. Do you think you could check?" Could I have been any more obvious? _Just check her damn body already, make sure she's okay!_ Was what I should have yelled at her. I didn't though, instead I politely added. "I think she's hurt."

"Very well," agreed, standing up to inspect Bella's damage. Okay, yeah, I may have been over-reacting in just the _slightest_ bit, but all of this uncertainty was making me uneasy. I anxiously stood over her shoulder, giving Bella an apologetic look. She smiled back, a tiny wary smile. There was my Bella.

"Where did you make contact with the locker?" She asked, studying Bella over carefully. I paced across the room, huffing impatiently. Couldn't I just take her home? 's turned around and scowled at me before tending Bella some more. Once she turned her head around, I stuck my tongue out at her childishly. Bella saw, and her face lit up into another small smile. I grinned back at her before she grimaced in pain again.

Seeing her in pain just wasn't working for me. I wanted to shove that nurse out of the room and cradle Bella into my arms, comforting and healing her. That wasn't going to happen though, so I just finally gave up by sighing loudly and sitting back down in my chair.

"My back," Bella answered quietly. "I ran into the locker with my back." studied her some more before ordering her to flip over onto her stomach. It was painful to watch her slowly roll over, because I could tell how much pain she was in. The only thing I didn't get was why. I understood how hard James had shoved her, but surely it hadn't been _that_ hard.

"Alright dear," She began, starting to roll up the back of Bella's shirt. "Do you mind if I take a look? You don't need to take anything off." The nurse shot me a fucking smug smile, probably thinking that that's what I had wanted all along. Once again, unbelievable. Like I really cared about seeing Bella's back verse if she was okay or not.

Bella hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. She continued to gently roll up the back of her shirt until all of Bella's bare back was exposed. I caught a glimpse of the straps of the white bra she had on, but didn't think much about it. This wasn't a time to start acting like a perv.

I wasn't close enough to see what her back looked like, but the nurse gasped. Before I knew what I was doing, I sprung out of my chair and was leaning over the both of them. My mouth parted slightly too. What was on her little back was _not_ just from being shoved up against a locker. The words didn't come out of my mouth, but luckily for me, was on the same page as I was.

"Honey, what on earth have you been doing?" Her voice was stunned. I just continued to stare at her beat-up back in awe. What the fuck? "These marks are definitely _not_ from a locker." The nurse clarified, sounding all smart with her assumption. _No fucking duh, I could have told you that!_ I almost wanted to holler. I didn't though. Words couldn't leave my mouth.

"That was from when I was little," Bella told us both honestly, not making eye contact. "I was trying to get off of a boat when I slipped and slammed my back against the dock and the boat pretty hard. I had to get stitches." She concluded, making it sound like no big deal. It looked like more than that.

"And the more recent ones?" Ah, we were _still_ on the same page. It was beginning to get a little creepy though, so I just shut my thoughts up all together.

Bella hesitated once again, but continued on with her explanations. "We have wooden steps leading down to our basement," She explained. "I tripped down them a few months ago." Why did it sound like there was doubt in her voice? I just wanted to know how come this girl was destined to be so damn accident-bound. It was insanely unhealthy.

The nurse gave her an apologetic look. "Well aren't you just so lucky?" Her sympathy was pathetically weak. I figured that she must've gotten bored already, and wanted to move on to a new patient or some shit. That was just fine with me. I was game if Bella wanted to just head home right now. In fact, I'd stay with her.

wrote down a few more things in her notebook, then closed it and set it down on the table. She gently rubbed Bella on the back a few strokes, something _I_ should have been doing, and then sighed exasperatedly. "You don't feel much like going back to class, do you?" She asked her, completely ignoring me.

Bella nodded her head solemnly and shot me a worried glance. I winked at her. "I'll be taking her home," I told the nurse with that new authority. "Nor my parents or teachers will mind. I need to take care of her, and besides, I'm not feeling to great anyways." It was true; Bella was killing me. She stared at me uneasily for a second before finally giving up and dismissing us to leave. She filled us both out passes as I walked over to Bella who was now sitting up on the bed. I wasn't sure if I should carry her again. I sure wouldn't have minded, but I knew it'd probably be going a little overboard.

Bella stepped down off of the bed and wobbled slightly. I quickly wrapped my arm around her small waist and pulled her tightly to my side, not letting her fall. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked her, unsure of how much balance she had at the moment. She gave me a small smile. "This'll be fine, thank you, Edward."

I rolled my eyes at her and then smiled. Always so thankful for the littlest things. She shouldn't have always been thanking me for the things she deserved. After we were handed our passes, I held on to Bella – supporting most of her weight as we walked out of the school and into the parking lot.

I walked around to the passenger's side and opened the door for her, helping her in carefully, making sure not to make anything worse. She slid in effortlessly as I shut the door and walked around to the other side. Once I was in, I started up the ignition and pulled out and away from the school. I glanced at the clock which was indicating that it was only five after twelve.

I glanced over at Bella who was hugging her knees tightly to her chest, staring out of the window. I felt so awful, she couldn't even imagine how badly I felt. All of that shit was my fault. If I had just been smart for once, and walked away, she wouldn't have had to be hurt like that.

"I'll take you to your place, but we can swing by and pick-up some lunch somewhere first, okay? Don't worry, drive-through's fine with me." She shot me another small smile before going back to her silent thinking. I wanted to know what she was thinking more than ever, but I couldn't. I had already done enough one day, and not to annoy her would be a very wise choice on my part.

It didn't take a while until the awkward silence became unbearable. Normally I could deal with it when it was Bella, but I was just dying over here. I needed to say _something_ to her. "Bella, I'm sorry." I told her as sincerely as I was capable of.

Her face became confused. "Sorry for what?" She asked, confused.

"Sorry for hurting you like that." It had been my fault, she couldn't deny _that_ fact. I just shook my head with self-disgust while angrily staring at the windshield ahead. This was a promise that I had been sure never to break. I broke it, and I deserved more punches from James than I had gotten.

"What?" She asked disbelieved, suddenly sitting up straight in her seat. "_You_?" She asked astounded, "Hurting _me_?" She started shaking her head before I could even protest. "Edward, _James_ hurt me. Not you. You saved me, stood up for me, protected me – _I _should be the one on my knees begging for apology. What just happened, you didn't deserve to be put through that because of me." She finished sadly, her tone regretful.

I'm not sure I completely agreed with her, but to humor her, I minimized my next response. "Okay Bells, whatever you say, but just know that I _am_ sorry." I felt like I needed to add something more. "Oh, and don't even began thanking me. I would do it again in a second for you, alright? If that's what you want I'll do it. I'd do it in a heartbeat in fact. Don't thank me for giving James what he had coming."

We sat in silence for a few moments, both letting the other cool down for a little bit. After another few seconds, I added, "I want you to know something, and I'm serious when I say this too, okay?" She nodded, letting me go on. "If that disgusting-sorry-excuse-for-life _ever_ touches you, or even comes close to you ever again, I want you to tell me." What I would give to have my hands around his neck.

I turned to gaze into her eyes, letting all of my honesty and sincereness flow into hers. She stared back, her brown eyes dazzling me. Would I ever get over them? _Could I?_

**BPOV**

The pain was becoming more bearable by the minute, thanks to my personal savior. What Edward had done for me, it was beyond words. Even just thinking about it stunned me into silence. He said not to thank him, but I promised myself that I'd find a way to soon.

I'd find a way to thank him for everything that he had ever done for me. He had done so much. More than he probably even knew. I was beyond blessed when he came into my life, and even though I knew I didn't deserve him, he continued to make me feel more than useless. He made me feel like I was cared for, something that I'd _never _felt.

I let out a surprised laugh as he pulled into the parking lot of Taco Bell. "What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing sideways at me. "We can go to Taco John's, if you prefer?" That had me snickering at him in my seat. The only reason I had even giggled in the first place was because this was Forks. No one ate Mexican food here, so people rarely even came here at all.

I shook my head quickly, "No, this is just fine." I assured him, smiling slightly at the thought of it. I hadn't eaten anything spicy in so long. Change was always nice. He ordered us each a taco, and we were pulling out of the parking lot seemingly just as quickly as we had pulled in. I suspected that they were so fast because all of the workers probably just sat around playing cards all day. I was surprised they hadn't gone out of business yet.

I held the bag in my lap, smelling the aroma filling the car as Edward drove to my place. I hadn't protested when he said we'd come here because it'd felt unfair to him how often I'd gone over to his house. He had hardly even been in mine once. I unbuckled my seatbelt as he pulled into my drive way. He glanced in my direction before quickly getting out and hurrying to the other side to help me out.

Even though it was impractical, I let him do those kind gestures such as holding open doors for me and carrying my stuff. I did it because it felt nice to feel like I was being taken care of for once. It never seemed like he minded at all, so I never asked. The more he did though, the more bad I was beginning to feel about it. With Edward, you could never tell his true mood.

I dug the house key from my pocket and unlocked the front door. I stepped inside and turned to see Edward nervously standing in the doorway. I didn't understand what exactly he was doing, but he just stood there. Staring at me.

Then, it dawned on me. I realized that he wanted to make sure he was welcome, and that I was okay with him coming in. Why wouldn't I be? Surely he couldn't have been _that_ clueless to my irrational feelings about him. "Will you stay here with me, Edward?" I asked him, looking up through my lashes. That little motion always seemed to get him every time.

His lips turned up into my favorite crooked smile. "Only if you want me to," He told me, stroking my cheek bone lightly once before stepping inside. I decided that he didn't need a tour – There really wasn't much to show him. It was a boring life Charlie and I lead. . .At least, that's what I was trying to convince Edward.

I had been thinking quite a lot lately about my options. I remembered telling myself that I would tell Edward eventually, but the idea was starting to fade out. I wasn't so sure about it anymore. By the way he reacted with James today, something that I had been used to for ever, I couldn't even begin to imagine what his reaction would be once I told him the truth about my father.

I knew it'd be way worse, because what Charlie did to me was a hundred times worse than what James ever could. That was the only problem. Edward's reaction. I had experienced his anger before, his bad side, but I had this feeling that his protective instincts would end up harming us both. Besides, there was always the possibility of him telling someone.

I lead Edward to our kitchen, and sat down at our table as he followed my actions. I pulled out his wrapped taco and handed it to him, then unwrapped my own. The first bite was sensational. I had forgotten how much I loved Mexican food; Charlie hated it, so that meant I could never cook it. Ever. Edward took a bite out of his as well, and grinned at me.

I was surprised at how fast the pain was disappearing. It was sure still there, but whenever Edward was around, it always seemed to get better. That was when I decided that even though I couldn't tell Edward about my family, I'd tell him as much as I could about everything else. I knew there were probably some things that he was wondering.

"Edward, I have to tell you something," My voice sounded more broken than I initially thought it would. That wasn't my intention – I wanted to come off as not bothered by all of this as best I could. He gulped nervously as he nodded for me to go on, gazing into my eyes curiously. I had to look away if I was going to concentrate. "You're probably wondering about my reputation at school, aren't you?

His wary eyes met mine once again as he nodded slowly. "I am, Bella, but you certainly don't need to tell me if you don't want to. Really." He wanted to make sure I felt comfortable. I don't think I had ever been this comfortable in my own house ever. I knew a large part of it was because Edward was replacing Charlie at the moment.

I swallowed one last bite and set down the remaining piece of my taco. This was going to be a long explanation, and I wanted him to know it. He did the same, setting down his taco and giving me all of his attention.  
I took a deep breath. "I had friends up until around middle school." His sad eyes bore into mine as I continued. "Victoria and I had been best friends, up until 5th grade at least." His eyes widened at that. I knew he didn't care for her much. "That's when her parents got divorced. She started to become more and more distant, somehow taking her anger and problems out on me. Jess and Lauren had been my friends too, but they followed in on whatever Vicky told them too. They never really were that close anyways."

"In 8th grade, that's when everything spiraled in a direction opposite of me." I said sadly. I was surprised at how much this thought took me off guard. It let me remember, just a second glimpse of how everything used to be. "Victoria was head over heels when James moved to our school. . .Kind of like how she acted with you only worse." He chuckled when I added that in there quickly. "So, James never cared much for her to began with." I paused. "He liked _me_."

Edward nodded, still listening intently on my words. "Of course, you can imagine how angry Victoria was at that, and that's when some small rumors began." I stared off into space. "I don't know why I went out with him," I was saying it to Edward and myself. "Maybe I was trying to prove something? I'm still not sure. So, Victoria was furious, naturally." I told him. "She kept up her best friend facade for a while, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd eventually slip."

That was only the beginning of the story, and I was already overwhelmed my the echo of pain from my loss. It'd only be getting worse as I continued, I reminded myself, Edward said I didn't need to tell him. I _was_ going to tell him though, because I owed him that. I owed him something.

"James started to get physical with me. I always shied away. I had never really liked him." Edward's eyes remained the same, hard and blank. "He began getting pushy, and I got scared. I broke up with him." That was in the most simplest definition I could come up with. I left out the part where I refused to give James a blow joy, and that being one of the reasons I ended it.

Edward's eyes were still completely focused on me as I continued the story. "Of course, wanting to keep up his image, he finally went out with Victoria. She became friends with me again, now that she had gotten what she'd wanted." I paused for a moment, but then kept going. "It turns out, James never stopped liking me." My tone couldn't help but sound sour.

"Behind Vicky's back, he'd always wink at me or tell me how much he wanted me." I said disgustedly. "He soon began touching me while Victoria was gone, never asking for my permission." I hadn't realized I had been gritting my teeth until now. It turns out that Edward had been too. "Then, one day, James pulled me into a broom closet." His eyes grew wide as I took another deep breath and continued. "I couldn't escape. . .He was too strong. . ." My voice was full of sadness I couldn't control. "I'm sure if Vicky hadn't come. . ." I gulped again. ". . .He probably would have raped me."

Edward's eyes narrowed as he rubbed his face with his palm stressfully, massaging his temples. This was just the reaction I had been expecting from him, so I kept going. "It turns out, James framed me. Victoria thought that I had been all over him instead of vice versa. James innocently convinced her that as well." I stopped, making sure that Edward had his temper under control before continuing on.

"That's when the rumors started getting _really_ bad." Worse than he could imagine. "Um, I'd rather not say any of them, if that's okay?" He quickly nodded assuringly, letting me know that he didn't mind. "That's not just it though," It was only a part of it. A small part. "Well, you know my dad's a cop, right?" He nodded again, keeping his eyes locked with mine. "Long story short – There's been a lot of party's thrown by Victoria and her friends, most of them consisting of alcohol and other bad substances. Of course, Charlie had to be called to the scene for each one of them. So many kids got in big trouble with their parents, and some were even pressed charges against certain violations."

"I think that's one of the main reasons everyone hates me. Not everyone's mean like that, but if you're not mean, you're a coward. I had other friends too, nice ones. It turns out, they were just as fake as the rest," My voice was starting to get angrier, and I was beginning to loose it. "They were worried about their own reputation, so they obviously did what they thought was right. Acted like I had dropped off the face of the earth." Edward's expression was hurt. Why? I had no clue.

"So, that's basically it." I finished, suddenly not wanting to talk about it anymore. One tear oozed out of my eye and I quickly wiped it away. I wasn't about to start crying again. Edward probably already thought that I was a huge cry-baby. He hadn't said one word throughout that whole time. I waited anxiously for him to speak, blinking thoroughly a few more times, making sure the moisture was completely gone.

"Bella. . ." His voice was pained. I stared up at him while his sad eyes bore into mine. "Bells, I'm _so_ sorry. I can't even began to tell you how sorry I am." He shook his head and sigh again, placing his face in both hands. He looked up at me again and this time, his expression was more composed. "Just forget about all that bullshit," He said harshly, using his signature language. If it was any different of a time, I probably would have laughed. "Really, none of them are worth it. You have us now. You have _me_."

That one statement alone caused my heart to do funny things. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering like crazy, and the blush spread ferociously across my face. I don't know if he realized how much his words meant to me. I think he did after the frown on my face broke into the smallest of smiles. His lips twitched as he fought back a smile of his own.

The best part of it all was the feeling that I had relieved myself, and lifted a heavy weight from my shoulder. The only problem now was that damn weight on the other. I'd take care of that later, I told myself, pushing the thought from my mind. I knew I had been putting this off for too long, but what could I do?

Honestly, all I really wanted in that moment was some relaxation. I hadn't been able to get any in so long. Edward could give me that; I knew he could. I yawned and stretched, cringing slightly at the soreness covering my body. "Edward, can we do something?" I asked him, standing up and walking over to take his hand.

"Anything," He told me instantly, also standing up. I took his hand and connected our fingers. He smiled.

"Can we just. . ." I paused, thinking of the best way to do this. "Relax?" I knew it sounded ridiculous, but I hoped he got where I was getting at. "Like, watch a movie or something?" I was up for anything as long as it was with him. I scolded myself in my mind for being so pathetic.

The look in his eyes told me that he needed the exact same thing. He smiled genuinely at me and planted a light kiss on my lips. I had yet to get used to the incredible sensation created when our lips met. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. I prayed I wouldn't, at least. Still holding on to Edward's hand, I lead him to our family room.

This room was a little bigger than our living room, and definitely a lot nicer. The TV was even bigger as well. I had always wondered why Charlie never came down here to watch his sports and drink his beer instead of the living room. I never complained though, because sometimes I came here as an escape. There was a recliner, similar to Charlie's upstairs only much nicer.

The softness of it was something I'd always get lost in, and I had considered many times to move it up to my room. I wasn't strong enough though, so I never tried. Plus, Charlie wouldn't like it too much. I stood there awkwardly for a second before Edward walked over and sat himself down in my chair.

I stood in front of the DVD cabinet, choosing a random movie and popping it in. I turned around and slowly walked over to Edward. He was grinning crookedly at me as I judged the amount of space left on the chair. There wasn't any. Edward grabbed my hand gently and pulled me to him before I could even blink. He cradled my body to him as I sat on his lap, nuzzling my face up against his warm chest.

He wrapped both arms around me securely, so strong and sure, I _knew_ I was safe. The movie began and I had already forgotten which one I'd put in. It was hard to focus when I was with Edward this way. I wasn't complaining though, in fact, I was making myself comfortable, letting him hold me. The feeling of safely never failed to come over me as he encircled me in his arms. I let one hand rest limply on his chest as the other stroked his arm.

My head rested on his chest as I closed my eyes and relaxed, just as my original intentions had been. Edward seemed to like how things had turned out as well; He was nuzzling his face in my hair. I also felt his lips on my forehead as well and I smiled into his chest. He gave me a gentle squeeze and rested his head on mine, breathing calmly.

Like I had before, I focused intently on his deep, soft breaths. I wasn't expecting to actually fall asleep, but it was only a matter of time before I did. For the first time in my life, I fell asleep soundlessly in Edward's arms.

I woke up to sudden shaking as Edward sat up in the chair, keeping a hold of me. I kept my face pressed up against his warm chest, not fully awake yet. I felt bad for falling asleep on him like that, but I didn't think he minded to much. I remembered that he had woken me up, and that there had to have been a reason for it.

I heard loud footsteps from upstairs and froze. My head turned away from Edward to frantically look at the clock. Time had passed more quickly then I thought, and _he_ was home. I tried to control the shaking that was beginning to come across my body, but wasn't succeeding.

Before I could do anything, before I could even get up, I heard those similar loud footsteps walking down the stairs. I quick shot Edward a panicked expression which I'm sure he didn't understand. His eyes showed worry as well, as he too was still.

"Bella?" Charlie called angrily. I didn't move. Didn't speak. This was _not_ good. His face suddenly appeared into view. He spotted me. . .and then Edward. His expression became absolutely furious as he charged over.

"What the hell are you doing?" He shouted at me. Edward stared at the two of us, bewilderedly. He kept his arms still loosely around me, unsure of what he was suppose to do. I clinged on to him tightly as Charlie approached. All I could see on Edward's face was confusion. All I could see on Charlie's was hatred.

"Get away from him!" Charlie hollered at me, glaring at Edward and I both. "Get off of your ass right now!" I refused to move, still keeping my death drip on Edward. Poor Edward had no idea what was going on. He just followed my lead, keeping me safe in his arms as Charlie continued to holler at me.

Turns out, Charlie had other plans. He reached out and grabbed on painfully tight to one of my arms and tugged me away. I gasped and groaned in pain at the soreness radiating from the burn spot. From _everywhere_. "No dad, stop," I tried to forcefully shove away but was unsuccessful.

"You, get out of here, now!" Charlie yelled loudly at Edward. My eyes, full of panic, met Edward's. He quickly got out of the chair, but didn't leave. He just stood there. "I said now!" Charlie growled, glaring at him.

Charlie still had his death grip on my arm, disabling me to move or go anywhere. Right before Edward was about to hurry up stairs and home, his eyes met mine once more. I wasn't sure what he saw in mine, but I knew one thing that I _was _absolutely positive about.

Edward wasn't stupid. He could fit the pieces together. It had clicked just like that, and I knew he'd figured it out. And this time, I could see it in his emerald eyes, he wasn't going to back down.

* * *

**CLIFFIE!  
Evil, evil, evil – I know.  
I'm actually really curious as to what most of your reactions are to this one.  
Like I said, A LOT happens.  
For instance, now you know a little more about Bella's past.  
Okay, please don't hate me for Edward's reaction – It's only normal. I mean, what the hell would you think in a situation like that? ...Exactly.**

**I'll try to answer as many questions I can this week without giving anything away!  
So if you have a question, feel free to fire away!  
Oh, and as always, reviews are very much appreciated. :D**

_**Reviews are better than death threats from James(:  
(...well, obviously)**_


	13. Fix You: Coldplay

**Chapter 12 – FINALLY.  
I would have posted it sooner, and I'm really sorry about that since you guys all kicked-ass on the reviews, but with everything crazy going on in my life, it just didn't work out that way.  
But, here it is now, awaiting and ready for you to read.**

**Kay, like I said before, you guys totally kicked-freaking-ass on the reviews!  
I totally wasn't expecting that much, and I am __****still ****overjoyed by it.  
Thank you SO much; I got to hear from so many new people~  
Wow, just wow. I'm still in shock.**

**Alright, the song for this chapter is** _**Fix You – Coldplay**_**  
I'm sure many of you have heard this song, so maybe you'll understand why I chose it.  
It truly is an incredibly beautiful song, and I think it fits Edward's emotions for this chapter perfectly.**

* * *

**EPOV**

I listened to Bella's quiet breathing as the movie in the player was forgotten. I held her in my arms as she slept on my lap, her presence alone intoxicating me. I would have joined her in her peaceful napping had I not been so caught up in the moment. I wanted it to last forever; For her to always be with me, to always be with _her_.

I was amazed by how fast the time went by as I watched her sleep in awe. Before, I had been so fucking angry that I wanted to just scream out loud. The story Bella had told me about her school life, about how people treated her – It killed me. I just couldn't wrap my head around it all.

_Now_, I was just merely enjoying her floral scent and the heat of her warm body. I had forgotten all of those things, and was now focusing on her tiny body. It fit into mine like we had always been meant to be. As her head nuzzled into my chest, I took many inhales on the glorious scent of her hair. Of her.

It wasn't because of perfume or any shit like that. It was _Bella_. It was her natural scent. I fucking basked in it. Just a few times Bella had stirred in my arms, only to adjust and make herself more comfortable. I kept my body motionless, only stroking my hand across her silky brunette hair.

I froze when I suddenly heard the sound of a garage door opening. That had to be her father. I remained calm to the best of my abilities before finally just giving up and gently shaking Bella. "Bella," I whispered loudly into her ear, "Bella?" She stirred a few seconds before her eyes finally opened up slowly and blinked a couple of times. I hated having to wake her, especially because of how comfortable she was; How comfortable _I_ was, but I wasn't sure how to proceed with her dad being home.

She kept her face pressed up against my chest snugly as her father's loud footsteps sounded from upstairs. She suddenly froze, and became completely stiff in my arms. She shot a quick look at the clock, then back to me. Her small body began to tremble in mine as the footsteps grew louder, walking down the stairs.

She shot me a panicked expression which I didn't understand. It was her dad, how bad could it be? I looked back at her, slightly worried. Something didn't seem right. I stayed still along with Bella as he called her name loudly. She never responded.

Once Charlie stepped into view, her face probably resembled that of a deer caught in headlights, but much worse. I still was having problems deciphering the meaning to her fear. His face went straight to Bella, and then slowly to me. I stared into his eyes for just a moment before I had to look away. I looked at him, and then at Bella again, bewildered. If hadn't seen him before, I wouldn't have known that this man was her father.

"What the hell are you doing?" He spat furiously at Bella. As shocked as I was, I kept my arms still wrapped around her tiny torso. I didn't know what I was suppose to do. Clearly, I wasn't welcome there, but why couldn't I find the strength in me to move?

She clinged on tightly to my shirt as he walked closer to us both. I payed close attention to his expressions and his movements, searching for the answer I desperately needed. "Get away from him!" He hollered at her, glaring mainly at me but then focusing back on Bella. "Get off of your ass right now!" Bella's arms continued to hold on to me as I did the same.

I definitely was not expecting it as he charge right at us both, sternly grabbing Bella's arm and tugging. Her gasp of pain was like a knife through me, taunting my very soul. Didn't he fucking know how hurt she was? How fragile and breakable her tiny body was? "No dad, stop," She whined, almost more of a plea. Her small body seemed so weak – How could he be doing this?

I was too stunned to move from out of the chair until his angry eyes met mine. "You, get out of here, now!" Was what he yelled at me. I quickly stood up, but my feet remained unmoving. "I said now!" Charlie glowered at me. Why was he acting this way?

When it suddenly clicked, it felt like someone had slapped me in the face with great force. _Holy Shit, _was all my mind could think over and over again. The obvious fact that was clearly there right in front of me all along. It was _Bella's dad_ who was hurting her. _Bella's dad_ who was the one who made her so broken and bitter.

I stayed frozen in place for another moment, torn between what to do. He had a fucking gun on him – What _could_ I do? He wasn't actually hurting Bella or anything. _Yet_, the voice in the back of my mind screamed at me. Maybe I was making things bigger than they seemed; Maybe Charlie just got mad that I had been so close to his daughter. _Maybe_, he was just mad at me. I had to cling on to all of those small alternatives as I stared at the both of them.

I had to talk to Bella, right away, but I knew that I couldn't. I knew that I'd need to get out of there as quickly as possible before she'd get into even more trouble because of me. I was getting ahead of myself, even though I was almost positive that my theory was true. Now was not the place or time to think this all over, I reminded myself sternly.

"I'll be fine," She mouthed to me assuringly. I wasn't sure if she was convincing me or herself, but I knew that I had to trust her.

Before I bolted for home, my eyes met Bella's one last time. They were panicked, hurt, worried. He couldn't possibly harm her after having me witness all of that, could he? _I'll be fine_, she had said. My determined eyes bore into Bella's with such intensity. I was silently telling her that I knew, and that I needed to know more. One last nervous look before, completely against my better judgment, I headed up the stairs – out the door, and into the Volvo.

I pulled out of the driveway quickly, still in shock of what I had just discovered. If I hadn't panicked so much, I could have stayed back. I was worried though, and did the first thing in my mind that seemed practical. I ran. _Fucking coward_, I was completely disgusted with myself. If my initial reactions would have been better, I probably could have done something. . .But, then again, he _was_ a lot bigger than me. He also was a cop. Bella would be okay, I assured myself over and over. Tomorrow, school wasn't even going to be an option.

I'd pick her up at the usual time, only instead of driving her to school, I'd drive her to my place. And then, we could finally have the talk we should have had a long time ago. I wasn't letting her refuse to tell me anymore. It wasn't because I was selfish, or just for the sake of knowing, it was because I needed to find a way to protect her.

_These marks are definitely not from a locker_.'s words rang through my head over and over again. Why did it seem so obvious now? That statement along with all of the other little things telling me what had been happening all along.

I arrived home in record timing from Bella's house, and ran straight up to my room, ignoring everyone on my way. I didn't care if I was seeming harsh or even mean, I just needed some time alone to think. I even locked the door so no one would come in and interrupt me.

Bella's face ran through my mind. All those times she had seemed so hurt; Now I knew why. I was now just discovering why it had taken so long for me to get her to smile. Why she was always so careful and quiet. Why every time I'd make contact with a certain part of her body, she'd cringe just a little in pain.

It was because of what she had been holding inside her all of this time. I knew exactly how she felt, and out of all people, I'd definitely knew the feeling of isolation from every body else. I wanted so bad for Emmett to run me over with a fucking bus for having it take me so long to finally realize that something had been wrong.

Out of all people, it had to have been Bella. She wasn't accident prone at all – It was a fate that had been chosen for her in the hands of someone else. In the hands of the _monster_. I kicked my trash can over with all of my anger. Shit spilled out everywhere, but I didn't care. I even punched my pillow forcefully a couple of times, letting out the feelings that now consumed me.

I felt sick. Sick that I didn't figure out sooner. Sick that it had to be Bella who was going through all of this shit. Sick that I knew I couldn't do anything at the moment, that Charlie would probably never let me in that house again.

Most of all, I felt torn. It felt like a part of me had been completely ripped out from my body. I clenched my eyes shut and brought my hands up over my eyes. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. . ." I repeated miserably over and over. There had to be _something _I could do. Anything? I decided that later that night, once everyone was asleep, I'd sneak over to Bella's and make sure she was sound asleep in her bed. If she wasn't, I'd break in. That was my only option.

Along with the panic that had earlier been in her eyes, there had been something else. I knew exactly what it had been – The plea for me not to tell anyone. I wouldn't. How could I? She trusted me, and dammit, I'd show her that I _was_ in fact a trustworthy person. Against my better judgment, I sealed my lips from the knowledge that nobody would hear.

I got off my ass and paced around the room, fists bawled up and clenched tightly together. I all made so much since now, how could I have _not_ seen it before? The eyes – They probably had been the most obvious the whole time. So sad, pained, broken. . .Only a god-damn idiot like me _wouldn't_ have noticed all of these things. I was the one who had been closest to her the past couple of weeks, hadn't I? Shouldn't I have been able to see _something_?

What I also failed to notice was her actions. The way she always cringed in pain all the time, holding herself together with every last ounce of energy that she had. So much for being her protector, I thought bitterly to myself, chuckling humorously as I continued pacing.

_That_ was why she was always so reluctant to go home. Why she _needed_ to go home to avoid certain consequences, I guessed. It was why whenever I'd drop her off, she'd always be so scared to leave. When I picked her up, she'd always be so eager to leave. All of those things, they made sense now.

I continued to mutter profantities under my breath as I angrily stormed around the room. If Alice or anyone else would have walked in, they probably would have thought that I had completely gone mad. I wondered what my face looked like, because on the inside, I sure hurt like hell. Internally, I was kicking myself over and over again. Kicking myself with metal spiked cleats, which I gratefully deserved.

_Fuck_, I thought devastatingly, _how could I let this happen for so long?_ God, I felt so fucking helpless once again, just standing here in my room, doing absolutely nothing. I wondered what Bella was doing. . .What she was having _done_ to her. I was so mad, I think a growl even managed to escape from my mouth. _Stop it, Edward, _I thought curtly to myself, _You aren't a fucking lion_.

Today started out shitty anyways, and then I had to get in a fight with that dumb-ass for no reason, causing Bella to be in more than enough pain than she already was. Then, she had to go on and tell me about why the kids thought she was so fucked up for no reason, which gnawed at me for a good while until I finally brought myself to forget it. _Then_, things had to get impossibly worse by her dad coming home.

If I would have been more responsible and kept track of time, Bella probably wouldn't have gotten yelled at. . .or worse. Then again, if I hadn't overstayed, I would have never found out the obvious truth, something I _should_ have found out a long time ago anyways. I continued to beat myself up about all of this because I felt I deserved it. I _knew_ I deserved it.

I'm not sure how long I walked around in pure self-hatred, but eventually I got called down for dinner. I wasn't sure if I should go or not; My mood would definitely _not_ be at all pleasant. I thought about I some more before I decided that I should go. I didn't want to hurt my family any more than I already had by my negligence, so I wiped off all emotions completely from my face, not giving any thing away.

It felt like I weighed five-hundred pounds as I walked down the stairs. My head was spinning, my ears were screeching furiously; I just couldn't wrap my head around it all. I finally made it down in time to be the last one seated. Everyone just stared at me.

I looked down at my plate nervously, avoiding eye contact with everyone. I was _not_ in the mood to talk, but I guess I would if I'd have to. I had no clue what to say without making my voice shaky though, so I prayed that everyone would ignore me as usual. No such luck.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Esme's concerned voice came from across the table. No one else had said a word yet, awkwardly eating their food in silence. I glanced up and met the eyes of my nervous mother. I tried smiling at her, but it probably came off as more of a grimace. This was just not working out – I'd have to eat my food then bolt.

"I'm completely fine," I assured her quickly, probably coming off a little to curtly than I had originally tended it too. She nodded in consent as she looked away from me. I'd noticed her little worried glance that she had shot to Carlisle which I wasn't suppose to see. What was the big deal with them? I had a bad day; Everyone does. It doesn't mean they have to go all therapist on me.

". . .Are you sure?" Alice piped up, not afraid to just speak her mind. "You don't seem like it. You seem like someone just got shot." If only she knew. I just shrugged casually before shoving a bite of turkey salad in my mouth. If they were all about to start being pricks about this, I was going to leave. I couldn't take any bullshit tonight – I had already been pushed to my limits.

"I'm just fine," I snapped at her harshly. She glared at me for a second before getting bored and going back to her food. Jasper patted her on the shoulder sympathetically before shooting me a pointed glance. He didn't like it when people messed with his girl. _Neither did I_, I wanted to tell him, but what could I do about it? Life was a bitch.

"So. . ." Emmett started, trying to change it to a new subject. Bless his fucking soul, I wanted to get up and kiss him, but I obviously didn't. "Talk about the weather here, huh? Pretty ridiculous." What was ridiculous was how poorly treated someone could be without even deserving it, I wanted to yell. I had to stop thinking about this before I would eventually burst.

I shot him a thankful look before I nodded quickly in agreement. "I know, I mean, seriously? The highest it's been since we've moved here was sixty-five." Esme stared at me for a second, hesitantly nodding along in agreement as well. She knew me too good. She knew _something _was up. And by the looks of it, so was everyone else. I'd have to make something up to get them off of my backs, and I'd need to do it soon. I guess I could tell them part of my day – I knew they'd be interested.

"I got in a fight today," I stated blankly, shoving another mouthful of salad in my mouth. Alice gasped, Rose rolled her eyes, Jazz snickered, and Emmett held out his knuckle for me to pound. I grinned at him convincingly as I punched it. Both parents shot me disapproving yet curious glances.

"Why? With who?" Alice asked, shocked. I rolled my eyes at her reaction, but was happy none-the-less for this perfect _semi-_distraction.

"That James kid," I told her, acting like it wasn't a big deal. Jasper's head snapped up quickly as he grimaced in disgust. "Oh, _that_ asshole?" Esme scolded him with her eyes for his language. Rosalie giggled.

I nodded at him, "Yeah, that one." Even just the mention of his name alone caused me to grit my teeth in frustration. _He probably would have raped me_, Bella's soft voice ran through my head in the memory. I wanted kick that poor motherfucker's ass for a second time, away from school grounds.

Carlisle spoke up for the first time tonight. "Did you get in trouble? What happened?" His tone wasn't worried, but amused. You could tell he was trying to hide it though, but he failed to do so as his lips twitched, fighting back a smile.

"No, I didn't get in trouble, _he _did though," I smirked.

"Who won?" Jasper asked eagerly, grinning in anticipation. "I hope it was you, because that asshole seriously does deserve a beating." Esme angrily set her fork down and scowled at him.

"Jasper," She scolded, "We do _not_ refer to human beings as _assholes_. Especially not at the dinner table." Rosalie and Alice both held back their laughs. I choked on my milk while also fighting back a chuckle. Did I just see Carlisle grin? God, did I love my mom.

"What was it about? Why did it happen?" Carlisle continued to fire questions at me. Clearly he was enjoying himself. I took a nervous breath. What was I suppose to tell them? I didn't say anything for a while, just sitting in silence. It was Alice who broke it – She must've been able to read me like a book.

"It was about Bella, wasn't it?" Of course she'd have to know that. I hesitantly looked up to meet her eyes. They were knowing. I wondered _how_ much she actually really did know. I frowned and nodded slowly at her, watching as her face became soft. What was so cute about a fight? I wanted to ask her.

"What _about_ Bella?" Rosalie had to keep digging deeper. It was clear that everyone else knew I didn't want to continue on this subject, but Rose didn't care. She'd get what she wanted, whatever it was.

I sighed in frustration. "Why does it matter?" My voice turned cold in a hurry. So much for that distraction. "Can we please just. . .not talk about it?" Rosalie sent me an annoyed look, but went back to eating her food, unbothered.

No one said anything for the rest of dinner which had me somewhat relieved, yet annoyed at the same time. My mood swings were becoming dangerously lately, and myself along with everyone else knew it too. I couldn't help it though – It wasn't like I chose any of this. I regretted thinking that instantly. I was completely ashamed of myself for being such an ass to everyone who didn't deserve it. My family, the kindest people anyone could ever ask for; They didn't deserve my shit.

So I did them the favor of silently leaving. I knew they were all worried about me. They had it all wrong though, it wasn't _me_ who they needed to be concerned about. That brought my thoughts back to Bella. I wondered how she was doing, _what_ she was doing. Midnight couldn't come any sooner. I wanted, no, _needed_ to check on her. I hadn't quite figured out how yet, but I promised myself that I would somehow.

The hours passed slowly as I anxiously waited in my bedroom for darkness to come. The suspense was beginning to kill me, and I didn't know how much longer I could take it. So many times I had thought about just going over there earlier than planned, but I knew that it wouldn't be a wise option. _Suck it up, buttercup_, I thought to myself irritatedly. _What's the worse that could have happened?_

I didn't even want to think about that or the possibilities, so I desperately looked for another distraction. I spotted my guitar propped up against me wall in the corner of my room. I hurried over to get it, then made my way back to the middle of my bed.

I began trying to play that song that I had played for Bella. I couldn't remember it though; The melody wasn't there, the chords were off, and the notes sounded angry. For the next half hour, I continued trying to remember how it went – It had been so soft, so gentle. . .Just like Bella. I sighed in frustration as I desperately wished I could remember.

After a while, I just gave up and set my guitar down next to me. I glanced at the clock. It'd only be another long hour before I could finally make my way over. I was beginning to get slightly nervous, for two reasons. The first one was because I was afraid that I'd find Bella hurt or in pain. The second reason was because of her dad; I had to admit, I was fucking terrified of the man. I knew that if I ended up getting caught, there would be some serious hell to pay. He was a cop, after all.

When the clock finally flashed twelve, I pulled on a hoodie and some shoes. My whole house was dark, so I knew everyone had fallen asleep. I carefully walked down the stairs, attempting not to make a sound. I decided to go out the back door, because I'd be walking through the backyard woods to get to Bella's house – Taking my car would be too risky.

I slipped out the door and quietly shut it, being really quiet and careful with all of my actions. Once I stepped out into the cool spring air, I let out a sigh of relief. The first part was over and done with. Now all I had to do was somehow get to Bella.

I was real fucking pissed at myself for not being smart and grabbing a flashlight before I left. The woods were pitch black, and I couldn't see my hands in front of me. Very hesitantly, I began feeling my way through the trees and brush in front of me. I ran into a couple of trees and swore a lot, but I eventually made it to the other side, and was standing right in Bella's backyard.

Her house was completely dark as well, and I was trying to decide what my best approach would be. I knew for sure that they didn't have a security system or any shit like that, but I did have to worry about Charlie. I honestly believed that if I got caught, I'd have two possible fates: Jail, or death. I came up with a simple solution to both those problems – Don't get caught. _Easier said than done_.

I immediately eliminated the front door from possible entrances. I've heard her front door; It squeaks like hell. Since I couldn't get inside it, the garage door was also out of the picture. There were only two other doors it looked like I could choose from as I walked around, scanning the house.

I finally decided my best option after about ten minutes of careful thinking. The back door was a sliding door, which would definitely be the quietest. Also, it lead straight into the room that Bella and I had been in earlier, before the monster came. I was preparing to pick the lock, something Emmett taught me a long time ago, but to my surprise, it was unlock.

As quiet and slow as possibly possible, I slid the door open. Being as cautious as I could, I also took the extra amount of precision to close it behind me. Once I was finally standing in her house, I just stood there for a moment, listening to the sounds around me. Her house was warm, nice. It even smelt just a little bit like Bella, which would have made me smile given different circumstances.

Bella had never shown me around her house, so I had no fucking clue where her bedroom was. I figured it would be on the top floor, I mean, that's where most people's bedrooms were. I started with that, still listening intently on anything that might have sounded out of place as I crept through her house. Luckily, my eyes had adjusted to the dark a little better so I now could see slightly where I was going.

I spotted my destination, a staircase, and tip-toed quietly towards it. I was nervous that the stairs might make noise when I walked up them, so I hesitantly stepped on the first one, bracing myself for a cracking or squeaking noise. To my surprise, everything remained completely silent. I took a quiet deep breath and stepped up the next. Still no noise.

It took me a while, but I eventually succeeded to make it to the top. I took another sigh of relief before deciding which door to try. I needed to be extra careful, because it would either be Bella or her dad. I _needed_ it to be Bella's on the first try, otherwise I'd be fucked. I felt like such a god-damn creeper, but kept telling myself I wasn't. This wasn't some perverted _I'm going to watch you sleep_ kind of things. This was a really fucking serious situation. I had to make sure she was okay.

I stood in the middle of the hallway for another few minutes and listened for any sounds. Still, there were none. I decided to try my luck by choosing the door on the left-hand side. It felt like I was on a game show; A deadly one. As slowly and quietly as possible, I leaned my ear up to the door. The snoring on the other side was loud and scratchy. That couldn't have been Bella.

I headed over to the other side of the hallway and pressed my ear up against the door I assumed to be Bella's. Her breathing was so quiet and peaceful, if I hadn't been listening carefully enough, I probably wouldn't have even heard it. She was most likely okay, but I _had_ to check just in case. From past experiences, I had already known that Bella wasn't a very light sleeper. I knew I wouldn't wake her.

I softly creaked open the door and peaked my head in. I spotted Bella's bed, and then Bella. I smiled at the sight of her silent form, sleeping peacefully. She was curled up into a tight ball underneath her covers, as she stirred a couple of times. At first, I panicked that she somehow knew I was there, but soon realized that she was shaking in her sleep. Her room was fucking cold – She must've been freezing.

There had to have been extra blankets around the place somewhere. I could find one, lay it on her, then be out of there before anyone would notice. After seeing her now, I felt a wave of relief sweep over me. She was fine. Well, it appeared that way, at least. I left the door cracked and crept into the hallway once again. I spotted a closet door and quietly opened it up. Sure enough, there were several blankets folded up nicely. I snatched one and hurried back into her room.

She hadn't moved from her spot while I was gone. I silently unfolded the blanket and walked over to her bed. I spread it over her small body, adjusting it slightly so she could get as much warmth as possible. It had already been along time away from my house, and I figured I should probably head home soon before anyone happened upon my absence.

Being so close to her, I just couldn't help myself. I leaned over and lightly pressed a kiss on her flushed cheek, and brushed some loose hair from her face. She stirred a little, and I could tell already that the blanket was helping. Her limbs began relaxing out, and her breathing became more slow and deep. That was when I knew it was time for me to leave.

I was getting this powerful urge to stay with her, cuddle up next to her and hold her in my arms, keeping her safe. That was exactly why it was so dangerous for me to be there that long, because if I didn't leave soon, that's very well what I would end up doing. I resisted though, and quietly left the room just as I had entered.

This time, the stairs weren't a problem; I went down them faster and with more ease than when I had gone up. I felt surprisingly happy, knowing she was okay. Well. . .for now, at least. I reminded myself that the hardest part had yet to come. Confronting her. I wasn't going to let her back down – I was determined.

Silently, I exited through the back door. I glanced up at the house one last time before walking away. Just as I was about to turn for the woods, a light flipped on. That wasn't Bella's light either; The light was coming from her dad's room. I froze, staring up at the window. I saw his shadow get closer, and right as he was about to open the curtains, I leaped against the side of the house, pressing my body tightly up against it so he wouldn't see.

I stared there, completely still for about ten minutes until I was sure that he had gone back to sleep. Once I knew he did, I darted across the lawn. I slowed down when I reached the woods, not wanting to get a concussion from hitting a damn tree. Like I had before, I carefully felt my way through the thick trees until I was finally on the other side.

My house was still dark as I approached it, just the way I had left it. I quietly entered through the back door and threw off my shoes. I was completely buzzed on the adrenaline that I had just experienced. I seriously never thought I'd see the day where I'd have to bust into somebody's house. Pretty fucking messed up, if you'd asked me.

I made my way up to my bedroom without being noticed, thankfully. It was already almost two o'clock. Shit, it really took me that long? It was definitely worth it though, I told myself. I took off my hoodie, the shirt underneath, and put on a clean pair of boxers. I knew sleep would be a useless effort, but I figured I'd try anyways.

I was right. The whole night consisted of me tossing and turning; I probably got about a half hour total of sleep. I was completely fucking restless all night, and the morning couldn't come soon enough. I had too many thoughts bottled up in my mind, it was beginning to get insane.

I knew already that I'd be very irritable today. It was going to be a _long_ day too, I reminded myself. If I was going to be pissy at anyone, it couldn't be at Bella. Today would be hard, I knew it, but I could _not_ snap at her. Patience was going to be the most important thing from this point on.

I yawned tiredly as I poured myself a bowl of cereal and ate breakfast. It was going to be hard as hell to keep my eyes open for the whole day, so I resorted to the one and only thing I knew would work. I jugged down a 32oz. Monster. . .Then another one. Once I was positive that my sugar buzz would last long enough, I grabbed my keys and headed to the Volvo. I didn't grab my back-pack or anything because I remembered that we would just be coming right back here.

Everyone else in my family had already left, so I wouldn't need to worry about any of them coming back here finding Bella and I skipping school. Not that any of them would care, but just to be safe. Being even _more_ cautious, I left just a little later than normal, making sure that Bella's dad wouldn't be there when I picked her up.

When I pulled into her vacant driveway, I was instantly relieved. . .But then worried again. What if he hurt her this morning? What if I had been wrong about her well-being last night? I couldn't handle all of these doubts as I practically sprinted up her front steps. I knocked on the door, trying to hide my anxiousness to finally see her face.

After seeming like ages, the door finally swung open. Sure enough, standing right in front of me, was my angel. The bags under her eyes probably resembled mine. I was worried; She had seemed like she'd been sound asleep when I'd checked on her. Maybe the blanket didn't help after all. Her wary eyes met mine. She didn't smile though, she just stared at me. Her chocolate eyes showing an emotion unrecognizable.

Before even thinking twice about it, I pulled her into a tight but gentle hug. I encircled my arms around her small body as she leaned into my chest. More conscious than ever about all of the injuries on her body, I lightly kissed her forehead numerous times. She had to have known that I knew. How couldn't she? Well, if she didn't know now, she'd be finding out pretty soon.

I unwrapped my arms from around her and rested my head on hers. "Bells. . ." I whispered as her eyes remained glued to mine. Instead of saying anything, I simply took her head and lead her out to the car. I walked her around to the passenger's side and opened the door for her, gingerly helping her in. It seemed like more than an appropriate thing to do.

I turned to look at Bella who's confused face was staring out the window. We were back down my street again. "Look, Bells. . ." I paused, searching for the best way to ask. "Is it okay if we skip?" Her face was hard as she bit her lip hesitantly. "I have a lot on my mind." I added in, hoping to sway her some more. If only she knew.

"Alright, I guess." I think she knew what was coming – The questions, the answers, everything. There'd most likely be tears shed, it would be fucking hard; more hard for Bella, but it had to be done. Not because I was selfish or greedy, but because I cared. I cared with all of my heart and soul that Bella would be okay. That everything would be okay.

After telling her we wouldn't be going to school, she didn't seem at all surprised when I pulled into the driveway of my house. If anything, she seemed. . .relieved? I couldn't tell anymore, she was becoming even more difficult for me to read lately. The garage remained empty of cars as I drove into it. After getting out, I hurried over to Bella's side to get the door for her.

She shot me a small smile before I clasped onto her hand and lead us both into the house. I was trying to decide the best way to do this. I hadn't forgotten how incredibly hard it would be, but I reminded myself that it was for good reason. My living room seemed like the best option, so I walked over with Bella and sat down on the couch, giving her more space if she wanted it.

She surprised me by remaining close though, keeping hold of my hand. We both were sitting cross-legged, very close to each other. I took a deep breath; She sighed. How much I wished this wasn't happening. I had to ask though. "Bella. . ." My voice was slow and full of sadness. "I need to know."

Her eyes, her beautifully graceful eyes, blinked once. The warm, creamy chocolate in them was frozen. It was what to be expected. She parted her lips ever so slightly, inhaling a deep breath before shaking her head slowly and looking down at the ground.

"Edward," The pain in her voice was agonizing. "What do you want me to say?" Her eyes looked up to meet mine once again, keeping hold of the gaze this time. "Do you want me to spell it out for you?" She asked bitterly. I could hear in her voice, the tears that would soon be coming. I hated myself. "You know what's going on." And then, once again, she bowed down her gorgeous head in sorrow.

I couldn't take it any fucking longer. There had to be a way to make her feel better, to help her pain go away. "I need to know everything." I repeated, hating myself even more. I did need to know though, I needed it more than ever. If I was going to do anything about it, I needed to know all of the details.

"I. . ." She paused, nervously biting her lip. "I don't. . .I don't know if I can–. . ." Her voice cracked as I quickly reached up to stroke her soft face. I brought the other hand up to rake through my hair stressfully. How could I do this? How could I make this better for her; easier?

Suddenly, it clicked in me. I knew exactly what I needed to do, and I was absolutely dreading it. The only thing that would make Bella feel better, that would give her understanding, was to relate to her. I had to tell her about myself. I had to tell her _the truth_. I don't think I had ever really spoken to anyone about it other than Esme, not even my family. Sure, she had told Carlisle, but other than that, no one knew.

It would be hard; I didn't know how or if I could do it, but I had to try. I had to try _for Bella_. It would be assuring her that she wasn't the only different one in the world, and that I knew the feeling of pain. When my eyes met hers once again, they were searching in mine. For what, I wasn't sure. The main emotion I sensed in her expression was trust. I'd give her that, no matter how horrid a past I'd had, I'd tell her.

Holding her gaze, I took a steady deep breath and shut my eyes momentarily. "Bella," I told her, filling my voice with all of the emotions my face couldn't explain. "I have a story too. . ."

* * *

**CLIFFIE! Hah, another cliffie!  
You guys really do hate me, don't you?  
Yeah. So what? I'm obsessed with cliffhangers. Get over it. XD  
Just look on the bright side: The next chapter, *hint hint* MAY have something to do with...hm...Eddie's past?**

**Okay, so I guess I have some explaining to do.  
If you're angry or curious about how this chapter played out, I highly suggest you read this.**

**EDWARD'S REACTION****: This is probably what everyone is most angry about. Okay really though guys, think about it. Like Edward said; Charlie had a gun (he hadn't hung it up yet), so who do you honestly think would win that battle in a hurry? Also, I made Ed's reaction that way because, you have to remember, Charlie's actions **_**could have**_** resembled those of an angry dad catching her daughter with a guy alone for the first time.  
But seriously, the main reason I had him react that way was for you guys. If there would have been a big, epic show down, I would most likely have to end the story so much quicker. I don't want to have to do that. Plus, I already have every planned out, so you guys don't need to worry.  
I am still curious for everyone's thoughts and opinions on this matter, so feel free to let me know(:**

**WHAT HAPPENED TO BELLA ONCE EDWARD LEFT****: Just the usual Charlie stuff. Nothing horribly bad like a burning or anything, just a punch or two. He was surprisingly tired when he came home from work, so he didn't feel the need to waste his energy on Bella.**

**Um, I think those are really the only two main things.  
If you have any questions, you know what to do.  
I promise to try and answer as thoroughly as possible without giving future plot away.**

_**Reviews are better than a 32oz. Monster drunken by Edward in the middle of the night(:**_**  
**


	14. Who I Am Hates Who I've Been: Relient K

**Alright, here it is; The very anticipated Chapter 14.  
Before anything else, I want to start out by apologizing for the long wait.  
I have been gone the last week, at a beach resort with the family for our summer vacation.  
I just got back today, so that's why this chapter is a few days late.  
That's also why I couldn't respond to any reviews. (Which, once again, were completely kick-ass! You guys are rockstars.)  
Just know that I still love you all, to death, and that **_**every**_** review is appreciated more than you know. I couldn't write this story without you all, and for that, I thank you.**

**This chapter's song is** _**Who I Am Hates Who I've Been – Relient K**_**  
As you can guess now, and after reading this chapter as well, this selection was based completely on Edward's past, and everything he's been through.  
Also, Relient K is one of my all-time favorite bands, and this is just one of their incredibly amazing songs. If you haven't heard it, or anything else by them, I strongly recommend it.**

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**BPOV**

I sat there, staring at him in astonishment. His words had scared me. I had no idea what to expect; Edward always kept me guessing. What did he mean by having a story? By the sound of his voice, that story didn't sound too good. I wanted to hear it though, more than he knew. I wanted to find out more about this strangely beautiful boy now sitting in front of me.

I knew exactly what he was doing; He was trying to make _me_ feel better. The fact that he had figured out about Charlie was obvious – When he told me we were skipping, I knew exactly what his plans were. I was afraid though, and didn't know how to tell him about my situation. Of course, he sensed that, so here he was, making me feel more comfortable than ever by telling me about his past.

Words couldn't leave my mouth as I opened it, so I just nodded for him to continue. I wished that could have been brave and just told him what was happening, but I couldn't. Instead, I had to make him clearly uncomfortable by telling me about himself. I wanted to give him the option that he had yesterday, about not needing to tell me if he didn't want to, but I still wanted to know at the same time.

So I didn't say anything, I just listened, focusing only on his pretty green eyes. I could tell he was thinking of how to start. I patiently waited for him to begin, we had all day. "I was born into this world as an accident, Bella," He told me. It wasn't a total shock at all; Weren't most babies? I nodded for him to continue.

"Before I came into Carlisle's family, it was just Esme and I." Weird. I had always thought that Esme and Carlisle had always been together, but I was now just starting to realize how alike they both were, Edward and Esme. They looked very a like too, so I was surprised that I hadn't figured that out earlier.

Edward's face became suddenly unfocused, but remained on mine. "My dad's name is Phil." The way he said it made it seem like he didn't care for his father too much. Huh, welcome to my life, I wanted to tell him. "He and my mom were both _very_ young when they met. According to Esme, it had been love at first say." His tone was bitter. "That was a bunch of bullshit." He added harshly.

"From the moment I was born, my father hated me." I wanted to say something comforting, and how I knew the feeling, but he went on. "Esme and Phil got married because she was three months pregnant with me." The self-disgust in his voice was painful. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but my hands remained still.

"She had tried to hide it from him as long as she could, but he eventually found out. He didn't give her a choice." I could picture a young looking Esme, probably much like my mom had been, falling for someone so easily without giving things a second thought. "Then. . ." Edward paused, "I was born."

There wasn't really much to say, so I silently waited for him to go on. "Even though I was only a baby, I had always sensed my father's hatred towards me." He said sadly as his green eyes became penetrating. "I never knew why though, and as a kid, I always tried to be good enough for him." He stopped and sighed. "That never helped anything; He would always say horrible things to me while Esme was gone, and his actions were always very confusing."

I stopped him before he went on. This was all sounding very familiar, yet surely couldn't be the same. If Edward had ever gone through even the slightest abuse as me, he would have figured out my truth right away. "Wait," I told him, searching in his eyes, "What do you mean by confusing?"

The crease in his forehead deepened as he thought for a moment. "I'm not really sure. . .It's hard to explain." He stopped for a moment, still thinking. "I could never tell if he loved me, or hated me. One minute, he'd be telling me how great of a son I was, and how I was the apple of his eye. The next, he'd be swearing and yelling at how I shouldn't have even been living." I could picture a small, frightened Edward, full of youth, having these things yelled at him. I hated that picture.

"Soon, the confusion went away, and I really did mean something to him. Well, I thought, at least. I had thought that, after all of that time, he had finally changed his mind about me." Edward chuckled humorously. "He would play catch with me in the lawn, help me throw a football, take me fishing. I had really thought he'd loved me."

His expression became hard and stone-like. "I was wrong." His tone was flat. "When I was eleven years-old, I figured out that it had all been just a game for him." He shook his head in slight shock, I was guessing from the memory. I didn't want him to go on if it caused him pain, but how could I not hear what happened? I eagerly waited for him to go on.

"He started spending more and more time at home, while Esme worked three jobs to keep up the mortgage on her part. She never noticed how often he was at home, and that he rarely would be at work." While listening to him, I played absentmindedly with his left in both of my own. "I had eventually figured out that he had lost his job, but he told me not to tell Esme. . ." He swallowed hard. "He said it was like our secret. And I'd do anything to get his approval; _Anything _to be loved by him."

"Esme had always been my best friend, no matter what. I knew she'd be the sweetest women that I'd ever meet, and that I was the luckiest kid alive to end up with a mom like her. I wished I could have thought the same about Phil, but I couldn't." I decided not to interrupt as he continued on. "I found it incredibly unfair that it was my mother who was paying all of the bills, and she didn't even know it."

"So, since Phil spent more time at home, that meant more time with me." So far, his childhood didn't seem completely unreal. I knew there was more coming though, so I continued to listen. By the sounds of it, the worse had yet to come. "Everyday, I'd walk around the house, trying to avoid him as he reminded me over and over how useless I was. Hearing that as a kid," His sad eyes bore into mine. "It was overwhelming." Yes, it was, and I knew exactly the feeling.

"When I turned 13, that's when everything changed." He looked away from me, staring out the window. "Phil had always liked alcohol, but I never thought he'd end up getting stuck on it. He became an alcoholic. . .But that's not anywhere near the worst part." When he said this, he looked back at me with sadness. He somehow must've known that Charlie too, was an alcoholic.

"I can't remember how, but Esme eventually figured out that Phil no longer had a job. She was absolutely furious at him, naturally, and told him that he'd either have to start supporting the family, or leave. Obviously, he chose to stay and support the family." He let out a humorless laugh. "Fucking liar, that man was." Normally, Edward's colorful language made me smile. Not now though – now was serious.

I wasn't sure what I was suppose to say, or if I was even suppose to talk at all, so I remained silent. "One night, he said he wanted to take me somewhere fun. Being young and stupid, I actually believed he wanted to spend time with me." He shook his head in disgust. "So I eagerly went along with him, curious as to where he'd take me."

"We ended up at a bar. . .Well, more of a strip club actually," He brought his free hand up to rake through his messy bronze hair. He let out a low chuckle, "Being 13, you can obviously imagine my poor hormonal-self with all of those older women near me." I smiled a little, nervously, and nodded. "I looked older, and was a lot taller for my age, so nobody really took notice as my dad and I walked in. I remember a few people greeting him as we entered, wondering why he was so recognizable, and if he came here a lot."

"I should have suspected that he did. What, with him being an alcoholic and all. What really hurt me, is one of the things I found out that night. It wasn't a complete surprise, but it still got me. Phil had cheated on Esme, _many_ times. In fact, the first girl he was greeted by basically started making out with him."

"I wasn't sure what to do at first, but then remembered that Phil had to have brought me there for a reason. Whatever that reason was, I was terrified to find out." Edward's eyes were foreign, his face alien-like. "He left me for a moment, only to return with a huge glass of beer in his hand. I assumed it to be his, so I was a little shocked when he had handed it to me." I squeezed his hand lightly to comfort him, assuring him that I was there for him. "There were all these pretty girls around, what else was I suppose to do? My dad egged me on as I chugged down the first glass, before he went and got me another."

"I had never been drunk before. . .How could I have been? I was only 13. . ." Now, I was pretty sure that he was talking to both himself and me. I could hear in his voice what a painful memory this was for him. I wasn't sure if I was making this easier or harder for him, so I had to stop him to ask.

"Edward," I asked carefully, "I know this is hard for you, and I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do? Any way to make it better? You don't have to go on if you don't want." As much as I wanted him to, I wanted to also give him the power of free-will. I was starting to go on, so I stopped, took a deep breath, and relaxed. He stared at me through his long lashes, studying me.

By answering my question, his hands constricted out to my waist, gently grabbing me and pulling me to him. He turned me around so that my back was against his chest, and his chin was resting on top of my head. He wrapped both arms around my torso and held my hands. I rested my head on his chest, comfortably leaning into him. If this meant making him feel better, I was sure okay with it. In fact, I'd be okay with it in _any_ circumstance. I heard him sigh contently before going on.

"I think he did it on purpose. . ." He paused, "The drinking, I mean. By the end of that night, I had been so out of it, I remember worrying about what Esme would say. Even though I was loaded on alcohol though, I still had the sense of right and wrong. I decided that I'd catch a cab home. While I was waiting outside, Phil came out." Edward's voice suddenly became very dark, disturbed. "He got really mad, and started yelling, shouting something about how he wasn't done with me yet." The echo of pain from the memory filled Edward's voice.

"At first, I was confused and didn't know what he was taking about. The way he told me he wasn't finished with me yet, that was the scariest part." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I knew whatever it was though, that it was bad, drunk or not." I gently rubbed his forearm with my fingers, comforting him as my head remained lying on his chest. "He reached me before the taxi did, and pulled me to a nearby alley, very near the club." I noticed a faint change in Edward's breathing as it became seemingly more urgent then before.

"It was that night, that I became thrust into a living nightmare." It was barely audible, his voice. "Once we were alone, he pulled out a gun from his jacket pocket. I didn't know where he got it from, and by that time, my head was swirling and dizzy. I could barely make-out the words he had said to me at the time." I listened intently on what Edward was saying, staying still as a statue in his arms. "Before I knew it, he had me pinned up against the wall, and the gun pointed directly at my head."

Once again, a young image of Edward flashed through my mind – Terrified, disoriented, and helpless. It wasn't a image that I ever wanted to dwell on, or see again. I shook it quickly from my mind, reminding myself that he was here with me now, safe.

"I remember his exact words," Edward recalled, "They still burn in my mind up to this day." I wished there was someway I could relieve him from this misery he seemed to be in. It was painful to hear, and he hadn't even got to the worst part yet. "His words to me had been – 'Now listen here, you little son-of-a-bitch,' While grabbing my shirt in his fist, keeping the other hand locked around the gun and still pointed at my head, 'You're going to listen to me, and do everything I tell you to, you hear?' Scared shitless, I had nodded in agreement, trying to save my own life."

"After agreeing, he told me what I was to do; What my new job was," He said, disgusted. Edward took a deep, steady breath to calm himself before he told me the next part. "I was suppose to sleep with as many women as I could every night, and make as much money as I could doing it." He said it so quietly, at first, I wasn't even sure if I had heard him right. Surely that couldn't have been possible.

"Wait," I asked, confused. "Weren't you only, like, thirteen? How does that work?" I was avoiding the main question, afraid to make him upset. I'd work my way to it though, I told myself bravely.

"Yeah," He snorted with no trace of humor, "You'd think that would have stopped him," He said sadly. "My mom always said that I had the features of a man," That thought caused him to chuckle momentarily. "I guess she was right. The other part of it was, when you were as drunk as some of those women were, you wouldn't know it if you were having sex with a person or a tree." I let out a giggle, but then went back to being silent. "Oh, and also, you wouldn't believe how _incredibly_ desperate some of them were."

I needed some time to process all of this in my thoughts as I let Edward have a few moments of silence before he had to continue. He lightly kissed my hair where his chin had been resting on before he began again. "Fearing for my life, of course I went along with him, being dragged back into that awful place. I had been so confused what to do, and terrified on top of it all. How could a man make his son do such a thing?" He asked to no one. I shook my head in disbelief.

"After that night," Edward's voice was full of the anger and rage he held for his father. Probably similar to the feelings I held towards Charlie. "My whole life changed. Every other night, he'd take me to that bar, doing the same routine. Before we'd enter, he'd pull me into that same alley and ask me the same question, telling me the same thing – 'Do it, or die. Got it, son?' After the night was over, he'd have me call him so that he could pick me up from wherever I was. Before he'd unlock the doors to let me in, each time he'd roll down the window, holding out his hand for the money I had made before letting me in." It was my turn to talk, to ask the questions.

"Tell me more," I asked, playing with his fingers. "About what happened on the nights you. . ._worked_." I wrinkled my nose and spat the last word. I guess that was the only way to sum up what he had to do.

I heard him sigh. "I don't think I ever got used to it, not even after a year had passed. I also regret my way of solving the situation – Every night, before I'd offer myself up to whatever women vowed to pay the most, I'd load myself up with beer, trying to numb the activities and the memories that would come to follow." I was about to ask him something, but he beat me to it. "No, I never became an alcoholic or anything, and I never even drink anymore at all. I just drank to escape. Sometimes, it made it easier; Sometimes, it made it harder."

"Wait, Edward, what do you mean by harder?" I wanted to know everything I possibly could about him. I wanted to be the person he could tell all of this to; The person he could _trust_. Hearing this, it was surprisingly hard, for some reason. I didn't know if I should identify the emotion as jealousy, because Edward and I _definitely_ weren't anywhere close to _that_ step yet. But, all of these women still got to be with him in ways I probably never would. I shook those thoughts away quickly so I could focus on Edward's answer.

"It's complicated. . ." He told me, exasperated. I was afraid I was asking too much, and was about to tell him that he could stop, but he continued. "Some of the girl's who'd I'd sleep with, well, probably half of them were only doing it in the first place so they could forget their last husband, or boyfriend, whatever." The next part took me by surprise and knocked the wind right out of me. "Some of them. . .did it for revenge." He whispered slowly, painfully. I gasped in horror, understanding the meaning of his words.

"They. . ._hurt_ you?" I asked, completely appalled. I felt his head nod slowly. I shook my head in shock, trying to convince myself that this whole conversation had been just a horrible nightmare. No, this couldn't have happened. _Not to Edward_. "Yeah, they did," He answered sadly. I closed my eyes and leaned into his chest, feeling like absolute crap.

I needed to somehow lighten things up, and do it fast. I also needed to figure out more, to figure out _everything_. I chose a nice ground in between the two. "How did you even get into that bar every night? Didn't the women know how young you were? Where did you. . .you know. . .?"

He let out a surprised laugh, nuzzling his nose in my hair playfully. "You sure do have a lot of questions, don't you?" I felt a tiny bit pleased with myself for seemingly lightening up the dark mood that he had been in a second ago. I let out a nervous laugh and nodded my head. "I just want to know as much as possible," Did that make me sound like a total stalker? I hoped it didn't, I mean, I _think_ we were past the friend's stage, but I still wasn't sure, and I was too afraid to ask.

He answered my questions in order, starting with the first. "I hate to say it, but my dad's a smart man. . .Well, when it comes to _some _things, at least. He'd made me a very real looking fake id. It's not like I ever had to use it though; The owner was always about as drugged up as he could get. So yeah, _that_ was never a problem."

He paused to recall what my second question had been before answering it. "I think women always knew I was sort of young, but I don't think they ever expected, you know, 13 or 14. And like I said before, either they were totally drunk, or didn't care." He let out a low chuckle. "There were also the few that were completely fucked up." I smirked a little, but he didn't see.

His mood became a little less light, and went back to being serious. "To do it, we'd either go back to their house or apartment, or, we'd rent a hotel. Well, _they'd_ rent a hotel, I basically had no choice but to follow along. I never had a choice." More anger filled his voice, and I felt his fists tighten up as I held them in my hands.

"Why did you do it?" The question slipped out before I could process what I was actually saying. I regretted it instantly, because I knew it came off the wrong way to him.

"I did it because I didn't have choice," He reminded me, frustrated. I knew he was trying really hard not to get mad, but he wasn't succeeding. I didn't care though – I _deserved_ his anger. I shouldn't have said what I had, so I let him keep going. "Every night, before I'd give him the money, he told me he'd kill me if I didn't give him enough. I couldn't refuse, because he always carried around that damn gun. I couldn't run, because I always knew he'd find me." He took a deep breath, and whispered quietly, "I couldn't do anything, because I had no choice." He repeated, sounding more defeated than angry now.

"I know, Edward," I told him remorsefully, "Trust me, I know." I shook my head. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way, it just did. I understand." Okay, now I was rambling. I shut up as we sat in silence for a few minutes. I waited for a while before pressing on some more, knowing that this story was far from over.

"What happened then, Edward?" I asked quietly, hesitant for his reaction. There _had_ to have been a happy ending to this story. Of course there was, I told myself. Otherwise he wouldn't be here with the Cullen's right now.

He didn't speak at first, remaining silent until finally, he let out another exhausted sigh. I started to worry some more that I was annoying him, but he never said anything, so I didn't ask. "I never told Esme," He stated, staring out the window once again. I shifted a little in his lap. "I was always afraid, afraid that _he _would kill me."

"His plan worked nicely to his advantage for a long time," Edward said sourly, through his gritted teeth. "He brought Esme home thousands of dollars a week, from what I had earned, and told her everyday how well his job had been going. He told her that he helped manage the White Sox. About the biggest bullshit story he'd ever come up with actually, but of course, Esme didn't know baseball, so she happily praised him like he was the hero." Poor Edward, was all I could think. "He gave her the money and paid the bills just like the good man he pretended to be. He even threw in extravagant gifts, continuously wooing her."

"By fourteen, a lot of my friends were getting there first girlfriends, and always told me about how much they wanted to fuck them. I always laughed along with them, hiding everything completely from everyone. Normally, guys would like the kind of stuff I had to do all of the time. It wasn't normal though. . .In fact, there was absolutely nothing normal about. It was disgusting." His voice was bitter. "I didn't enjoy it because it wasn't right. It wasn't fair to me," I nodded in agreement. It wasn't fair to _anyone_. "I didn't _want_ to do any of it. I didn't _want_ that life." He was unthinkingly raising his voice. I let him though, wanting him to be able to get this all out. I knew that he had been holding it in for a long time. Well, it seemed that way at least. I mean, I don't think he went around telling random strangers how he had to sleep with hundreds of women so that he could stay alive.

"Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the pain, the displeasure, or the suffering. I wanted it to be over. I wanted to be done." At first, I didn't understand his words. Then, they hit me. He wanted an escape, much like I had many times. He wanted his life to be over. Before I knew it, or even could help it, I began shaking. Edward stiffened below me.

"What is it, Bella?" He asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

I couldn't breathe properly; My breaths were coming out short. I didn't know why I was reacting this way – Maybe just because the thought of a world without Edward was too painful. "You can't, Edward!" I yelled quietly. "No, you didn't!" He realized what I was talking about and quickly tightened his grip around me into a hug.

"Shh, Bella," He whispered soothingly to me, "It's okay, I didn't do anything, nothing happened," I instantly was instantly relieved after his assurance, and tried to relax myself. Edward was doing a better job than I was, so I gave up and let him calm me.

"I didn't do anything," He promised me once again, then added lowly, "I wanted to though." I turned my face so he could see, giving him a disapproving look. He smirked then stuck out his tongue. I turned back around and crossed my arms, pretending to be mad and ignore him. This was _nothing_ to joke about. "On my fifteen birthday, that's when I finally told Esme. Like I said, I just couldn't take it any longer."

"What did she say?" I asked curiously, hoping her reaction had been that of a fierce women like herself.

Edward chuckled at something I didn't know. "Esme believed me without even needing to hear it twice. She knew I would never lie to her, and especially not about something so serious. Her first reaction had been fury. She wanted that man burned at the stake and dead. Her second reaction had been pain. After hearing the whole story, she wrapped me in her arms as we both cried for a good two hours." Edward seemed embarrassed to admit this, so I squeezed his hands in a comforting manner, letting him know that it was okay.

"After the crying was over, fear washed over both of us." He said darkly. "Of course Esme wanted to leave him, but just like me, she had been afraid. Figuring out the man he really was, she then knew that it was going to be difficult to get away."

"We both promised each other that we would stick together, and that we'd think of a way to escape. Esme quit her job for me, so that she could stay with me as much as possible, keeping me from having to go with Phil." Well, at least everything was starting to sound like it was getting better. He continued on, "After a month, Esme just decided to confront him about it, not worrying about the consequences anymore." I now had a new found appreciation for the braveness Esme had in her.

"How did that go?" I asked nervously. "Was she okay?"

"Yeah, she was fine," For the first time today, his voice sounded somewhat happy. My lips twitched into a smile, knowing that things must've gone okay to have her here with Carlisle now. "Of course, at first he denied it," Edward told me, fiddling with my hands. "But after a lot of arguing and yelling, they agreed that a divorce was best." There was that happy ending I was looking for.

"Wait. . ." I stopped him abruptly. "Wouldn't that mean that Phil would get custody of you for half of the time?" I had once done a research paper on this particular topic. I hoped to god that Phil didn't get to be anywhere within a 10 mile radius of his son.

"You see," He told me, sounding relieved, "They made a deal; Esme wouldn't press a single charge against him if she got full custody of me for the rest of my life. He happily agreed, of course, not wanting to go to prison." Once again, I felt a surge of relief wash over me. "But, he still comes and visits me now and again," He added darkly, hesitantly. "How he found out where we live is still a mystery to me. In fact, he's due around here sometime within the next month I would guess."

"Wait, didn't you guys just move though?" I asked warily.

He nodded and explained. "Yeah, we did, but I guess the man has his ways." Probably similar to how Charlie was. Huh, I'm sure they'd be great friends, should they ever meet. I hoped not. "He knows the right people, I guess," I felt him shrug his shoulders.

He explained the next part before I even had to ask. "We used to live in Phoenix, with Phil, I mean, but Esme decided that we needed to get away; Leave everything behind. She chose to move to Chicago, even though we had nothing left. No money, no anything." His voice didn't sound sad, so I knew a good part was coming up. "One night, she was walking home from a job interview when she ran into Carlisle Cullen. _That_ was love at first sight. I'm not sure how it happened, but two months later they were married and I was a part of their family."

He quickly told me about his family before moving on to the next part. "Carlisle always tells us that we're the missing pieces to his puzzle." I smiled as he said that. "Alice and Emmett were the first ones into his family, and technically, the only two I'm actually related to. They're actually brother and sister, only a year apart – Their parents died when they were only six, and their parents were Carlisle's brother." I had always wanted to know more about his family, so I was grateful that he was now telling me. "Jasper and Rosalie are twins, if you haven't been able to tell by the blonde," He added in, "And they were welcomed into Carlisle's family only two years after Em and Alice. So, they really _aren't_ related to me, but are still family I guess." He laughed. "Sometimes I wish they were though – That's the one weird thing about having brothers and sisters that are all together. . .Well, like I said, only Em and Alice are technically related."

"So, do they know at all?" I asked him, "About your past, I mean."

"Carlisle and Esme are the only ones who know. They both told me that I could tell everyone when I'm ready, but I don't think I ever will." He paused for a moment. "It's the one time in my life I never want to remember." I felt like such an awful person. I had just made him tell me that story, probably against his will, only to make myself feel better about this whole thing. At least now I had the strength to tell him about Charlie. I thought so, at least.

"Thank you for telling me that, Edward," I turned my whole body around so that he was now hugging me to his chest as I nuzzled my face into it. I lifted my head up to kiss him lightly, which only lasted a minute before he pulled away suddenly.

". . .I think I should tell you more," He told me almost hesitantly, the pain reentering his voice once again. I didn't know how much more he or I could take. I hugged myself closer to him and nodded into his chest, letting him go on. I didn't know what more he could possibly have to share.

I pulled my head back a second to study his face. It was unreadable. "So you've been with the Cullen's for. . .almost two years now?" He gave me a small smile and nodded, though I could tell his mind was somewhere else. I let him go on with whatever he needed to say.

"Bella," His voice became more hurt than I've ever heard it. "You need to know what I did before I moved here. What I _was_." His voice frightened me, and I was afraid to see how his face would match up, so I kept my head down. "Firstly, you have to know how fucked up I was from the whole Phil thing. I was scarred and broken, and I still had yet to find what life had to hold for me." The way he was talking, it didn't sound like Edward. I noticed again how alien-like his expression became as he stared, unfocused, at nothing.

I nodded in understandment, remaining silent. What was there to say? "I wanted to know that things could be real. That there _could_ be love outside of the hell I had been living in." His voice was solemn, clouded with glum emotions. "I thought I'd be making things right by doing it, but I just ended up screwing things up more." He told me, still not saying what he was referring to. I didn't ask though, waiting patiently for him to tell me.

"After I moved in with the Cullen's," He told me, "I began dating." That same small surge of pain came to my stomach again, though it was only to be expected. Edward, as godlike as he was, _had_ to have dated other girls. I knew the emotion I was feeling right then was ridiculous; Jealous and hurt. I shoved the feelings away though, focusing on whatever Edward was trying to tell me.

"I began dating _a lot_." He repeated, emphasizing the last part. I just remained silent and still, ignoring that damn jealousy fighting its way to the surface. _I _was in Edward's arms right now, I reminded myself, _not_ some other girl. It almost seemed like he was hanging his head in shame. "Well, actually, I don't know if what I did was actually _dating_." Uh-oh.

He chuckled humorlessly, clearly frustrated with himself. "I was sucked into something almost as worse as before, only this time, it was my own fault." He admitted angrily, staring blankly out the west window. I kept my head rested snugly on his chest as his arms stayed lazily wrapped around my body.

I was still waiting for him to tell me exactly _what_ he was beating himself up for, but I reminded myself that we still had the whole day, and that he would eventually tell me anyways. So far, this day had turned out completely opposite of what I thought it would be. Yes, I was expecting Edward to ask about Charlie, and I knew that part was still coming, but what I wasn't expecting was what dark secrets Edward kept throughout his life. Everything had taken me completely off guard, so I was waiting for the wind to be knocked out of me yet again because of what he'd say next.

"Since I had been with women for all of the wrong reasons," He paused thoughtfully, "I wanted to know that I could be with them for the _right_ reasons." I could tell that he was uncomfortable by telling me this. At first, I didn't understand his words, until they finally soaked in. He _was_ a player. _Was_, I reminded myself. He _wasn't_ anymore. Definitely not. I tried to keep the shock and surprise off of my face to not torture him anymore.

"I shamelessly used girls for my own personal gain," He admitted, his voice completely torn, as was his expression. Despite everything he had just told me, knowing that I should have been mad or upset with him, at his behavior, I felt _bad_ for him. Because somehow, I understood. Somehow, I just knew that if he could do it all over again, he'd probably take it all back. Without even thinking about it, I began stroking my hand soothingly up and down his chest. It wasn't suppose to be sexual or anything – Just an act of comfort. Yet, I couldn't help but notice the ripply texture of the muscles on his chest.

He seemed to like that, and I could tell that his whole body became less tense and more relaxed, so I continued. "I know what I did was wrong, and I regret it more than you can ever know." I could truly hear the sincerity that rang in his voice. I felt it was time for me to say something.

"Edward," I said his name quietly, peacefully, "I believe you." I told him honestly, my voice remaining calm and soft. "Don't beat yourself up about any of this. None of this was your fault, no matter what you say." I tried to make my voice sound stern so maybe he'd believe me, but it came out as more of a plea. He stroked a hand through the length of my hair gently.

I didn't want him to say anymore on the subject, because I understood. His words had been simple to uncover. He had needed to know that there was such a thing as a relationship, though it sounded like he hadn't exactly follow through with his own. He had felt lonely, that was also clear, so he did what he thought was best. It wasn't. _But_, everyone makes mistakes, and I couldn't judge him on what he had been like. The only thing that mattered to me, to the both of us, was the present. I still liked Edward. I liked him more than I should, and somehow, he liked me. I wasn't going to let him think that it'd drive a wedge between what was developing.

"It doesn't matter," I told him, only a whisper. "None of that matters, Edward." I don't think I had ever been more confident in my words than now. "That's the past, and it's done with now." My voice was strict, yet gentle at the same time. "None of the stuff that happened back then is going to make me change the way I feel about you now." I also don't think I had ever told Edward out loud how much I liked him. By now, I pulled my face back so I could look at him fully. His eyes were sad, grief-filled. I didn't like them. I brought my hand up to rest on his cheek. Staring into his eyes, I repeated once more, "It doesn't matter."

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. My words hung in the silent air as we just stared at each other for an immeasurably long moment. I couldn't help but note that how every second I looked at him, he just got more an more beautiful. His beauty. . .It was almost inhuman. He couldn't possibly belong with me, I thought sadly as I stared into the deep green color of his eyes.

Since I really hadn't talked all day, the words began to spill out uncontrollably. The apologies couldn't stop coming. "Edward, I'm so sorry. That's such an unfair thing to deal with, having to have that carried on your shoulders the rest of your life." He began to say something, but I stopped him, not finished with my rant. "I wish there was some way I could take all of those burdens away from you. I wish that none of that would have happened, and that you didn't have to deal with all of the consequential things that went along with it." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I was beginning to over ramble.

"I'm sorry," I apologized for going on like that. "I just. . .I feel so bad," I told him honestly. And then, classic Edward, he smirked at me. _Smirked_. At first, I was afraid that I had done or said something wrong, but then realized that he was just messing with me. So I grimaced back at him, and stuck out my tongue. We shared in a few moments of happiness before his face became serious again. I stopped smiling also, and waited for him to be the one to break the silence.

He put both hands on either side of my face, gazing into my eyes that were now wide open. His expression remained serious as he spoke. "Don't even start worrying about me, Bella." He told me, "You're right. It's the past, and I've pretty much forgotten all about it anyways, okay?" I nodded cautiously at him. His eyes grew soft, warm. "Don't worry about me," He repeated, only a whisper.

I nodded once again, agreeing partly with his words. I probably still would worry, I just wouldn't tell him. Now that I knew this all, I felt. . .better? I knew it was the wrong feeling for what I had heard. I think I was just relieved at how open he was with me. It made me feel special in a definite good way. I almost forgot what I would have to do next until his words reminded me.

"To my understanding," He began softly, gently rubbing circles on my cheeks with both of his thumbs. "I'm not the one who anyone should be worrying about." His eyes continued to bore into mine as I took in his words.

He was right; I couldn't deny the truth in his words. I nodded once again, took a deep breath, and began telling him everything he had wanted to hear all along.

* * *

**WHAM!  
There it is; Eddie's past.  
Okay, yeah, I know it was an extremely lot to take in, and I'd appreciate your thoughts and feedback on your input for this chapter. I'll also answer any questions, should you have any.  
To sum it up into easier words that **_**might **_**make sense, or not, Edward was basically a ****Forced Prostitute**** (Hah, Tash, I told you you were close!). Like, his life depended on it, kinda thing. If he chose not to comply to Phil's wishes, he'd die.  
Huh, what do you know, Bellaboo isn't the only one with an asshole father.**

**Alright, like I said, I'll answer any questions you have.  
And your reviews would be appreciated on your thoughts for this chapter.  
LOVE YOU ALL!  
Oh, and I promise that the next chapter will be up sooner than this one was. Sorry once again for the wait!...But, didn't it make it just a little more fun, with the anticipation of Ed's past, I mean?  
Meh, maybe not.  
Well at least I didn't leave it at another cliffhanger, right?!  
*shuts up*  
Kay, I'm done rambling, I promise. XD**

_**Reviews are better than Bella and Edward's horrible fathers!(:**_


	15. Maybe: Secondhand Serenade

**Here's chapter 15! Whoa, already? Hah, that's insane! I can't believe we're already this far!  
Well, since I don't have much to say, I guess I'll just make some shout-outs.  
To Tasha, whom I love dearly! You really don't know how much I appreciate you(:  
To Samantha; you're reviews make me smile!  
To the brunette writer, for being my music twin!  
To Hilary, who catches my mistakes each week! XD  
To Manda – I always love hearing from you each week!  
To Bella, because of your hilarious reviews! Hah.  
To TRDancer, for kind feedback each week!  
To Lennix, because your reviews DAZZLE me!  
And to EVERYONE else who so faifully has followed Face Down. You all mean so much to me; Like, really, I couldn't write this story without ****all**** of my readers. I love you guys. To death.**

**This chapter's song is** _**Maybe – Secondhand Serenade**_**  
I chose this song because for one, they are like my all-time favorite band.  
And two, because after you read this chapter, if you really listen to the lyrics, you'll know why I picked this song. If you haven't listened to some of there songs other than Fall For You, I seriously suggest that you do. They are so beautifully honest – Don't be surprised if I use this band a lot(;**

**Oh, and thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers for me and my cousin, guys.  
They all really mean a lot, and are helping me get through all of this so much better.  
Thank you.**

****

* * *

**EPOV**

I couldn't grasp my head around the fact that she was finally going to tell me. After all along, after waiting to figure out what was up with this girl from the moment I saw her, she was about to unsolve the whole mystery for me. Even though I already had a pretty good idea of what was going on, I still needed to hear the words from her mouth.

Of course, I wished more than ever that those words wouldn't be true, but I knew better than to think any different. Bella remained comfortably rested against my chest as my arms constricted around her tiny body. I was at least a head and a half taller than her, but I definitely was okay with that. Her body was small and petite, but she still had curves in all the right places.

Stopping the fantasies running through my mind, I encouraged Bella to go on with her story. As stubborn as I was, I'd have us both sit here all day until she told me. I didn't care though, I _needed_ to know. And today, there'd be know bullshit with beating around the bush. I think she knew that. Her tiny figure lay completely still in my arms as I felt her body rise and fall with the soft, calming breaths she was taking.

I gave her a few more seconds to gather her thoughts before I finally had to say something. I couldn't help it; Naturally, I wasn't a patient person. Then, I reminded myself that this was Bella, and that she could take as much damn time of my life up as she wanted to.

I felt shitty and relieved at the same time. Bella didn't care about my fucked up past at all, but I still could never forgive myself for it. Despite what she said, I couldn't let myself off the hook that easy. Even though I was already done sharing, I somehow knew the worst had yet to come. The way Bella seemed always so hesitant to tell me anything too personal about her family; I knew that my theory would be true. I knew it'd be bad.

But like I had promised myself before, I wasn't going to push her very much. I'd still have her tell me, but I'd be as patient as humanly-fucking-possible when waiting for her to tell me. As long as she stayed comfortably in my arms as I did wait, I'd be just fine. More than fine, I'd be perfect. Almost.

She sighed quietly, then lifted her brown eyes up to meet mine. They weren't easy for me to look at. Pain, loss, confusion, hurt. All of the reasons why I knew what I was doing was right. I had to look away though, her expression had me completely torn. Why did life have to be such a bitch? God, I needed some aspirin, the stress that was filling me up was beginning to get too much. I remained in my spot though, still patiently waiting for Bella to began.

"Edward," Her voice was just a whisper, her tone agonizing. A crack of thunder sounded off in the distance, indicating that a storm was approaching. Both of us remained indifferent. "What do _you_ think is happening?" Her quiet voice asked me, somber. Nope, not a chance, it was _her_ turn to talk. I shook my head, feeling a little sorry when her sad eyes became impossibly sadder. I wanted to say something to make it better.

"Bells," I stroked my hand through the length of her soft hair. "I need to know." Wow, that was a brilliant response. I quickly added what my heart was telling me to, "I care about you, more than a lot of things in this world, and I need to know. I wanna make it better." That sounded slightly more intelligent, and true.

She nodded, her chocolate eyes closing momentarily. I pulled her slightly closer to me, letting her know that I would keep her safe. "My dad," Her voice barely audible, "Isn't the man he pretends to be." She told me, using the exact phrase I had before with Phil. I continued taking steady breaths, keeping my temper in check. I knew it'd be hard, but I couldn't act fucking animal in front of Bella.

I kissed the top of her head lightly, smelling the sweet scent of her, urging her to go on. Another crack of thunder sounded, closer this time. It'd only be a matter of time before the rain would start. "I'll start from the beginning," She told me sadly, backing away from my chest so that we could see each other's face. I didn't like all the space between us, but I managed to behave myself by taking her hands in each of mine. It wasn't near what I wanted, but good enough for now.

"That's probably best," I agreed, keeping my eyes glued to hers, searching for any new emotion to become present. Everything remained the same, though her breathing became slightly more urgent. I held her hands even more tightly in mine.

"I had a good life," Her tone was almost bitter. "Until the age of nine years old." I could tell that this was going to be a very edited story. I wanted to know more though, so I decided that I'd press when needed. Hell, I gave her all _my_ details, it was only fair for me to know hers, right?

"Your mom and dad's names are Charlie and Renee," I told her, not a question, just more of a refreshment of my memory out loud. Sometimes, I just couldn't stop words from coming out of my mouth. I also knew that she couldn't do this alone, and by talking and helping her along, she'd get through it easier. I _hoped_, at least. Anything to make this easier.

She nodded, confirming my thoughts to be right. Bella suddenly became more hesitant than before in my arms, her eyes straying away from mine and down to our hands. Whatever she wanted to say, wasn't going to be easy for her. "Charlie, he started drinking more frequently than usual," She told me, carefully phrasing each word from her mouth, doing her best to sound calm. I knew her better though, and I knew that this was extremely hard for her.

I almost told her that she didn't need to tell me, but quickly stopped myself. I had promised that I would figure out was happening, though I already knew. I hadn't been lying to her when I told her that I needed to know. I nodded at her words, knowing the feeling of having your world turn upside down for the worse.

"One night," she whispered, staring directly into my eyes. "He drank too much." Her words were becoming slightly shaky, and you could hear the pain of the memory entering into them. She paused for a few moments, "Do you remember when I told you that my mom died from a car crash?" She asked me, her brown eyes question. I quickly nodded; I always remembered everything she told me.

"Well," She said quietly, biting on her lip for a second. "She didn't." Uh-oh. I was almost afraid to hear the next part, because I knew it wouldn't be good. I gave both of her hands a gentle squeeze as her whole body became completely motionless before me. Her breathing sounded more like it was coming out in shallow gasps, and I was starting to get worried.

"What happened?" I asked calmly, keeping my eyes locked with hers. At that moment, she looked so small – So vulnerable. Like any one word could break her. I wanted to crush her to my chest, keeping her tightly pressed against me as I sucked away all of her pain and uncertainty. I didn't though, of course not, because I was still waiting to hear what she had to say.

"She didn't die from a car accident," She repeated once again, lower than a whisper. "_He_ killed her." I stared at her, stunned. Words couldn't escape my mouth as she hung her head in sorrow. Huh, and I thought _my_ dad was fucked up. I was completely speechless, and still couldn't say anything. Finally, when words could come out, they did in an unorganized fury.

"Why?" My frantic voice couldn't be controlled. "How'd he even fucking do that? Why haven't you ever told anyone? Why isn't he in jail?" I was beginning to raise my voice and loose control, just like I said I wouldn't. I stopped talking, taking a number of deep breaths to calm myself. Her eyes were wide, almost glassy-like. I was afraid she'd start to cry. She couldn't cry, or I'd loose it.

"Apparently their relationship wasn't working out," She said sadly, answering the first question, then moving on to the next. "He used a gun." Her voice was heartbreaking, and her tone matched. "I couldn't tell anyone," She gasped out, "Because he said he'd kill me." A single tear oozed out of her left eye unexpectedly. "He's not in jail, because I can't do anything about it." She shut her eyes as another one slipped out.

This was just completely fucking torturing. She hadn't even got to the worst part yet! I sat there, helplessly thinking of ways to numb the pain. I did the first thing that came to my mind, pulling her tightly to me, rubbing up and down her back with both hands. I pulled back and kissed both of her cheeks as the tears became more frequent. I kissed them all away, tasting the salty flavor of Bella's pain. I didn't even feel self-conscious at how sappy what I was doing was. It didn't matter. _Bella_ mattered.

She somehow still felt obligated to tell me the rest of her story, so I let her; This time, keeping hold of her in my arms as she did. I couldn't let her fall apart. I'd hold her together with all the strength in me. "That was the first night he hit me." I could tell how hard she was trying to calm herself as her breaths attempted to be desperately even. The tears were beginning to slow, which was a good sign, though I knew it wouldn't be the last I'd seen them that day.

I clenched my fists up as she told me this, the part I had been expecting. I took a deep breath, steadying myself along with Bella. She needed it more than I did. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to hear anymore, but knew I needed to. Only if she wanted to though, because this was already becoming way harder than I had ever imagined it would be. For some reason, she kept going.

"He became a complete alcoholic after Renee died, and that's when he started his sessions with me." My whole body became stiff, not being able to help my reaction. Even though I already knew pretty much what was going on, it still was hard to hear her actually confirm it. "They started out not too bad, but in time, became worse." She had somehow managed to calm herself, her voice and face tear-free.

Me on the other hand, I was going crazy. Literally. How the fuck was I suppose to stay calm when the girl I cared about most told me that her fucking dad fucking abuses her. I think I was the farthest away from calm anyone possibly could be, the rage I felt completely taking over me. The only thing that was probably keeping me sane in that moment, was the small girl in my arms.

I somehow managed to find peace by inhaling her sweet floral scent deeply. It definitely helped me calm down a hell of a lot more than I was before. I continued to be silent as Bella went on with her horrible story.

"Lately, it's been that baddest it's ever," She said quietly, almost serenely. I didn't know how the hell she was able to keep calm. She was taking all of this way better than I was, and it was her fucking life for crying out loud! I made sure that my grip was never to tight around her, aware of her fragile body more than ever. I was afraid that one tiny wrong movement would cause her pain. I never knew anything in life could be so hard.

She sat herself up once again, pulling away from my embrace. I grimaced slightly as she pulled back, not wanting there to be that unnecessary distance. I was about to pull her back when she held out her hands, stopping me. "I just need to show you something," She said calmly. I was suddenly bewildered, because I knew exactly what she was talking about.

She backed up out of my lap and sat cross-legged before me, smiling nervously as she pulled up one of her sleeves. She turned her arm around so that her palm was facing up. I gasped. There was a scar, faded, but still noticeable, running along the length of her forearm. I stared at it, shocked, and then looked up at her face. Her smile was wary.

"There's more," She informed me grimly, trying to keep the mood light. It sure as hell wasn't working, and I was afraid to see the "more" she was taking about. "This was from about a year ago." She gulped. "I didn't get his breakfast to him on time. . ." Her sad voice trailed off; She didn't need to say anymore.

She then took her other arm, rolled the sleeve up, relieving a mark that was far more fresh than the last one. It could only be a week or two old. "This," She whispered, "Was from a few days after we first met. He cut me." Her voice said it like it was no big deal. Her face was saying otherwise. She stared down at her beat-up hand, almost cradling it to her chest. I stared at it – horror struck. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but I knew better. I stayed still in my place, fighting back the fury that was threatening to boil to the surface.

She rolled up each of her sleeves even more so that they were now to her shoulders, revealing more scars, cuts, and bruises. I was gritting my teeth together so hard, I thought they might shatter. I closed my eyes momentarily and brought my hands up to bury my face in. After a second, I stared at her left arm first, pale and weak looking. Then, my eyes trailed to her right.

I let out a short, intake of breath, feeling like the wind had just got knocked out of my stomach. There was a white bandage wrapped around the center of her shoulder. She looked down to see what I was staring at and nodded. Bella reached her hand up to slowly and carefully remove the bandage. I was going to tell her that she didn't need to, but the words couldn't escape my mouth.

Once her arm was completely bare, I gasped in horror once again. "Oh my god," Was all that I could manage to choke out. On her arm, the skin was so damaged, I didn't know how she could stand the pain. Then, I noticed something I hadn't at first; The burn mark seemed to form a great big **C** right into her flesh. "Fuck," I whispered breathlessly, removing my gaze from her arm and into her chocolate eyes of innocence. "He didn't do that," I tried to convince myself out loud, already knowing it was a wasted effort.

Her mask was breaking. Once again, a single tear oozed out of her wide eyes as she nodded slowly. "Yeah, he did." And I thought my dad was fucking messed up in the head. Her dad, her dad was a whole different level of fucked. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I _could_ say. More tears began filling her eyes as I sat there, completely helpless.

I felt like I had been kicked a thousands times in the stomach. I had an awful feeling that wouldn't go away. My lungs felt week, and my brain felt useless. I couldn't process everything. I didn't want to. She moved her eyes from mine down to her lap, letting the tears fall uncontrollably now. I saw them, dripping off her cheek, from the tip of her nose.

I did the first thing my instincts told me to. Something completely _natural_. I went to her. I sat next to her with my feet touching the floor, legs dangling from the end of the couch. I reached my arms out and positioned her bridal style in them, so that I was holding her similar to how a mother would rock her new baby.

I held her closely as she hid her face in my shirt, staining it with her tears. I didn't fucking care – If she wanted to cry, I'd let her; I'd let her for as long as she wanted. I'd do anything for her at that moment. There was only one thing I _wanted_ to do though, and I knew she wouldn't like it very much. I didn't know if I could stop myself from doing it though.

I knew that she probably wanted to show me more, but I didn't want to see it. From what I had seen so far, I knew that it could only get worse. I was breathing very loudly, very heavily as she continued to cry. "Bella," My voice cracked, full of meaning that I didn't even understand. "I know you're not going to want to hear this, but I think I should say it." I paused for a moment, really debating on whether or not it would upset her.

Her tears were coming out silently now as she tilted her head up to meet my anxious gaze. "I want to fucking kill that man." I said harshly, my tone coming out louder than I originally planned. She flinched slightly at my fierceness. Understanding all of a sudden filled her eyes, which then soon turned to panic.

"No, Edward," Her voice was like a razor blade, cutting every inch of my skin. The pain unbearable. "No, please," She repeated, "No, you _can't_ tell anyone. Please, you can't," Her voice was just a hoarse whisper. I stared back at her, completely torn. I didn't know what to do. How could I deny her of her one wish?

"Bella. . ." I began, not knowing exactly what I was going to say. "Bella, I _need_ to. I can't–. . .I mean, I just can't let him keep hurting you." My voice was full of defeat I had not anticipated. I knew she probably smelt an easy victory. I couldn't help it though; I was a sucker for her eyes. I wondered if she knew that or not.

"Edward, I'm fine," About the biggest bullshit statement she had ever told me. I narrowed my eyes at her as she quickly back-tracked. "I mean, no, I'm not fine, but I can manage. . ." Her voice was coming out all raspy and short-breathed. She couldn't honestly expect me to believe that, could she?

"You can't seriously exp–" She cut me off abruptly, before I had the chance to finish.

"No, I don't expect you to believe anything," She told me curtly, "I expect you to trust me though." She paused, letting herself calm down. If I had ever doubted her ability to hold her own, I sure wasn't now. How had she just turned the tables like that? I stared at her, studying the expression now reading in her eyes. I couldn't fathom for the life of me what it was.

"I–. . ." I started, completely confused by my own words. What the fuck was I suppose to say? "I trust you, Bella," I told her honestly, hoping she could believe me. "It's just _him_ I don't trust." Surely she couldn't get mad at me for caring. I hoped not, at least.

That caught her off guard. Whatever she was about to say was now lost as her wide eyes bore into mine. They were so deep, it almost overwhelmed me. "I didn't know you cared," Her voice was so much lower than a whisper, I wasn't even sure I heard her correctly. I let out a breathless sigh, angry at myself for not making my feelings towards her clear enough.

I brought one of my hands up to rest on her cheek, holding it there as I told her how I really felt. "Bella," I said her name with completely clarity, hoping she would hear it. "I care about you more than you could ever know. You continue to amaze me, day after day. Your strength, your beauty. You're incredible." Since I had already gotten those words out, I felt no need to stop there. "Your courage is the most I've ever seen from anybody. Every time I see you, I feel things I've never felt before."

More water was forming in her eyes, but this time I was glad to know that it wasn't from the pain. "I couldn't ever stand to see you hurt, Bella." I told her, rubbing soft circles on her cheek with my thumb. "I'm not sure what kind of person I would be without you." I had never even thought about that before, but suddenly, the horrifying possibilities began running through my head. "Who knows. I could have gone back to my old ways, trying to find out who I was the wrong way."

There was no stopping the words from coming out of my mouth. They sort of just, came. "I'm a better person because of you. And I know we haven't known each other that long, but I feel this connection. . ." I trailed off, embarrassed. I was starting to sound too fucking sappy. All those words though, they were true. I shook my head, mad that I even said anything in the first place, yet unable to regret my words.

It was her turn to say something now, as I realized that she had been staring at me throughout that whole speech I had just made. She did the last thing I was expecting. She smiled. She fucking _smiled_. It wasn't small either, it was a full out, Bella smile. Then, she even let out a laugh. So what could I do? Hearing her carefree laugh, seeing her smile. Those were all of the things that triggered my emotions so completely.

I grinned back at her, confused, but somewhat happy. "Edward," She giggled, "You can't feel that way." Her small smile became more of a smirk. "That's how _I_ feel." And then, I was relieved. I was relieved because I knew that we had gotten past the hardest part. Of course there was more, but that would be fore later. Right now, I could smile and laugh with her at what an impossible situation this was. We were so different, yet so the same.

She was still smiling and giggling; She was too fucking cute. I couldn't help myself, her full lips were just there, taunting me. I slowly leaned in, taking her face in my hands. I'm not sure what came over me – Whether it was because I wanted to make everything better, or simply because I just knew we both needed it, I lightly pressed my lips to hers.

She brought both of her hands up and tangled them into my hair, pulling slightly. I took her pouty bottom lip in mine and sucked on it gently. I don't know if I had tasted anything so delicious. I suddenly froze, feeling her small tongue slide out. It wasn't a big deal, I guess I was just surprised. We hadn't gone that far yet, but if she was okay with it, I certainly would comply to her wish. My tongue met hers, feeling that slight shock when they first touched.

I traced her smooth lips slowly, enjoying the warmth and softness of her. She was so pure. We kissed for a good ten minutes, the longest we ever had, before my head was spinning and I couldn't breathe straight anymore. Never before had I gotten dizzy from kissing a girl. Hell, Bella had that affect on me though. When we both pulled away, she was smiling genuinely.

I knew the next conversation we were about to have would cause that smile to falter, and I almost wanted to just take a rain-check and continue kissing her. I went with the mature option though, and sigh deeply. She heard, and her eyes became troubled. She bit her bottom lip nervously; She knew what I needed to say.

"Bells, we need to figure something out," I told her, keeping my eyes locked with hers. She continued to bite her lip, nodding slowly at my words. "I promise I won't tell anyone," I wasn't sure if I could keep that promise, but I'd sure as hell try my hardest. "We just need to figure out a way to keep you away from Charlie as much as possible." His name came out of my mouth like poisonous venom. Bella cringed at the name, automatically checking the time. We were fine. We still had a few hours.

She nodded again, relaxing a little bit more; Her shoulders becoming less tense. "Remember though, Charlie's not stupid. If we're not smart, he'll know exactly what's going on." This was true. I wasn't planning on doing anything juvenile though, just some extra precautions here and there would be good for now.

I started with the simplest thing that came to my mind. "I'm going to add you to my cell phone plan," I told her casually, grinning a little. She smiled.

"What about your family?" She asked, sounding a little worried.

"They all have there own, no one will notice." I answered, "Carlisle gives me way too much for my allowance every month anyways – I pay for my own bill." It was true. The man was fucking loaded with cash. As my welcome present into the family, he went out and bought me a car. I never minded the family's wealth though; I didn't flaunt it like most people would have expected, I guess I was kind of just indifferent about it.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Her voice was still worried. I let out a chuckled. She was sure unintentionally funny sometimes, though I'd never tell her that. Did she seriously think it was a problem for me to pay for an extra phone? It's not like she'd call that many people on it.

"Positive," I assured her. "That way, you can call and text and stuff whenever there's something I need to know," I grinned again as she smirked. "You have to tell me everything though," I added seriously, meaning it. She hesitantly nodded, biting her lip once again. I was starting to wonder if she was hurting herself by doing it. Stop worrying so much Edward, I told myself, you sound like a concerned parent. Maybe I was acting like one. I didn't care though; I wasn't about to start being dicey when the stakes were Bella.

"Don't worry about it," I assured her one more time, making sure that she knew it wasn't really a problem at all. "I'll get the phone to you in the next week, okay?"

"Alright," She smiled, playing with her fingers. I wanted to take her hands in my once again, but didn't want to get distracted anymore that I already was. We had to figure this shit out, whether either of us liked it or not.

"Okay, so that's done," I said, furrowing my brow in concentration, "What else can we do?" She had to help me out here; I couldn't do this all on my own. As much as I thought I could, I knew I couldn't.

She was staring out the window in deep concentration, thinking. I was thinking too, desperately trying to find a way to make this work. I mean, there was only so much we could do. It would have been a whole lot easier if her dad wasn't a fucking cop. That just made him all the wiser. Well, let's hope that alcohol messed with his brain. I mean, by the sounds of Bella describing him, I didn't understand how the man still had a job.

"I just. . ." Bella paused, hesitantly looking down again. "I don't want to be a burden to you. To your family." She finished nervously. I tried to hold in my surprised laugh but didn't succeed. Really, _that_ was what she was worried about?

"You're ridiculous," I laughed. She grimaced at me. "You would be absolutely no problem at all. How many times do I have to tell you that everyone in my family loves you? Don't doubt it." I grinned at her, "Now if that's all your worrying about. . .?" We needed to be open with each other in order for this to work. If she was uncomfortable with something, she needed to tell me.

I suddenly had a very obvious solution pop into my mind. I can't believe I didn't think of it before; It was completely obvious. "Bella?" I asked her, not helping but to smile. She stared at me, waiting for me to go on. "When's your dad home each day?" I needed to get this information from her.

"Well, he leaves at around seven forty-five every morning," She said, sounding sort of confused. "And, um, he gets home at around six-thirty?" It sounded more like a question. My face lit up a little more, nodding encouragingly for her to continue. "Uh, he wakes up at seven fifteen every morning," She stated, finally starting to catch my drift. "He goes to bed at around ten-thirty, depending on his alcohol consumption that night," She added, smiling slightly.

I thought about all of that for a minute. She had to have known what I was thinking. A sly smile spread across my face. "What if I picked you up at seven-twenty, Bella?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. "And what if Alice, Rose, or myself dropped you off at home at around nine-thirty?"

A smile spread across her face as realization dawned on her. "It wouldn't be perfect, you'd still have to spend some amount of time with him for him not to get suspicious, but I think it will work." I couldn't help but feel happy at the possibilities. That would mean I'd be with her _a lot_. I mean, of course everyone would be with her. Alice would be thrilled. Same with Rose. Em and Jazz were always game with whatever I wanted to do. Everything would work out.

The only problem would be explaining to them why Bella was over so much without actually giving away anything. Oh well, that was my problem which I'd figure out later. Bella had enough to worry about. "Are you sure?" She asked. I knew she couldn't help but make sure that all of this was going to be okay. Hell, it was _more_ than okay.

"You better believe it," I grinned at her. I made an attempt at making my face look serious. It didn't work out too well. "Unless, of course," I smirked, "You don't want to spend that much time with me?" My tone was mostly joking, but there was a slight tint of curiosity behind it as well.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, but then her eyes became serious and wide again. "You promise?" She asked. I already knew what she was talking about, and I knew that it was the one promise that I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep. I stared at her, studying her expression of trust. Fuck, I was in such a hard position. I couldn't guarantee her that I wouldn't eventually tell _someone_. I'd sure as hell do my best though, and keep it a secret for as long as possible. This girl trusted me, and dammit, I'd show her what a trustworthy person I could be. I wouldn't let her down.

"I promise," I agreed wryly, not being able to make eye contact with her as I said it. I did promise; I promised to do my best at _keeping_ the promise.

"Edward?" She asked softly, "What if it doesn't work?" Her voice was just barely over a whisper, and I could hear the quiet fear behind it. I wasn't going to lie to her; I knew things wouldn't work out perfectly, but the one thing I _did_ know, was that everything would be okay.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Bella," I told her as my voice rang with authority I never knew I had. "Don't worry," I whispered, a slow smile spreading across my face. "You'll be okay." God, did I hope she would. I was going to hold myself to my own words. I _wasn't_ going to let anything happen to her. If I had to crawl to the ends of the earth just to prevent her from falling, I'd do it.

This new surge of protection overwhelmed me. I didn't know I was ever capable of caring for someone so much. I was glad that it was Bella out of all people though. Because really, I didn't mind doing things for her. The weird part was, I actually _liked_ it. I liked picking her up for school everyday, I liked holding doors open for her, I liked doing all that shit because I knew _she_ liked it. Taking care of her was just something that had somehow been worked into my normal life routine.

She seemed like she wanted to say something. I held her gaze, letting her know that she should tell me. She bit her lip, frustrated. "I'm just nervous," she admitted, and as I was about to assure her yet again that everything would be okay, she cut me off. "I mean, what if Charlie doesn't let me be with you ever? What if he doesn't allow me at your house? What if. . .what if I can't see you ever?" The sadness in her questions showed in her eyes, making me sad myself.

"You're seventeen," I told her. Technically, she would be turning eighteen pretty soon, "I think you have some rights of an adult. I mean, he can't make your decisions for you. Well, at least not all of them,"

She was shaking her head before I even finished. "This is _Charlie_ we're talking about, remember? He doesn't have to follow the rules." She said bitterly, scowling at the air. I furrowed my eyebrows together, frustrated; She was right. Well, I guess this _would_ be harder than I originally thought. She nodded sadly once she figured out that I had gotten her point.

"I guess you're right," I agreed dryly, "But everything will work out, okay?" I wasn't sure how I knew it would, I just did. Normally Alice was the one who could always predict shit like that. Alice. That jogged my memory. I had completely forgotten the rest of my family, and the time for that matter. I glanced at the clock, trying to do so without Bella's notice. I certainly didn't need her any more worried than she already was. Damn, they'd be home in less than a half hour. Where the hell did the day go?

Unfortunately, she noticed the time as well, and let out a shocked gasp. "Oh my gosh, I didn't know it was that late!" Her surprised face almost made me laugh. She was too cute. "I should–. . ." She stopped, searching in my face for the answer, I was guessing.

I laughed. "Wow, we didn't even eat lunch," I said, keeping my voice calm and joking with no trace of panic. "I guess we could go get some. . .If you want?" I certainly wasn't going to back out of my new mission. She wasn't going home until 9:30, like I had told her. I wondered how mad her dad would be. I wondered if he'd hit her.

I didn't think about those things now though, because if I started worrying, I knew that Bella would too. Even worse maybe. She always had the tendency to worry about other before herself as well, so if I began to show signs of panic, she'd worry about _me_. She needed to let others take care of her for a change. I would, if she'd let me.

". . .I'm not going home?" She asked quietly, testing our new plan. "Are you sure?" How many fucking times did she have to ask that? I don't even think I _could_ get any sure than I already was. I hadn't been so sure about anything in my life, I wanted to yell at her, but I never would. I could _never _yell at Bella. So I relaxed myself, smiled, and nodded cheerfully.

We went to the only sit down restaurant in Forks. I never told her, but I was admittedly stalling from my family. There'd be questions, that was for sure. What was I even suppose to tell them? I had no clue. I'd just tell them as much of the truth as I could; I was crazy about Bella. There, sounded like something I'd say, right? Well, if it didn't work then I was out of options.

When we were eating, all of our previous worries and concerns were almost forgotten. When we were driving back to my place, the worries and concerns came back. I hadn't thought too much about it before because, well, I wasn't really thinking at all. I had too much on my mind before. Now that it was clear, some future issues came through my mind. For instance, what would my explanation be for Bella eating there every night? What would be my explanation for having her always over? I knew Esme wouldn't mind feeding an extra mouth; That shit always cheered her up. I was just worried of the impression people would get.

Aw, hell, I didn't even need to worry about that right now. In fact, that was probably the _last_ thing I should have been caring about, considering that we'd have an anxious family awaiting us when we arrived home.

I was right. I took Bella's hand in mine as she shot me a nervous sideways glance. We walked in the door, sure enough, to find Alice's anxious form dancing towards us. I wasn't sure where the others were at the moment. She ran to hug Bella first, than playfully shoved me in the shoulder. I ruffled her spiky black hair, causing her to smirk and grimace at the same time.

Before she could get a word out of her mouth, Emmett came bounding to us. He was grinning like a fucking idiot, trying to be subtle about raising his eyebrows and shooting me curious yet knowing glances. He let out a loud laugh, "You two crazy cats skipped today, huh?" He sounded amused. I smirked at him, and watched Bella's cheeks turn a bright shade of red. "I gotta say Edward," He paused, crossing his arms smugly. "I'm a little disappointed in you. I mean, you've skipped all the time, hell, _I _skip all the time, so that's not what surprises me. What _does_ disappoint me though, is that you've brought Bella into said festivities." He raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Emmett would always be Emmett. Bella let out a small giggle. Alice gave Emmett a dainty high-five. Where were Jazz and Rose? "Emmett, why do you even care?" I asked, humor still in my voice.

He raised his hand and placed it on my shoulder, his eyes full of fake sorrow, "Edward," He sighed, shaking his head, "Young Bella here," He winked at her and then went back to lecturing me, "Does not wish to have her education spoiled by your carelessness. I am ashamed, dear brother."

I grinned at him. "Thanks dad," He smirked and punched my shoulder lightly. I punched back. That was the beauty about brotherly violence; No matter how hard the punch, you _couldn't_ get mad at said brother who delivered it. Well, at least that's what Emmett had said once after hitting me. I believe my exact words had been something along the lines of _"Bullshit you ho, I'm not letting you punch my motherfucking body for fun!"_ Yeah, after that little brawl, Emmett and I had gotten past all of our differences. He was probably the closest member to me in the family.

"_Young Bella_," I chuckled, "Has the power of free-will. She didn't need to skip," I told him, "She simply chose to participate." I looked down and smiled crookedly at her. Her face lit up more than I had seen it the whole day.

Alice suddenly huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the three of us. "I am a person you know? I _am_ part of this conversation too!" She spat out at us randomly. Oh shit, it must be that time of the month. I did the only thing I could to avoid being eaten alive. I shut the hell up. Bella, bless her soul, was the first one to speak. Her words made me smile.

"Of course you are, Alice," She reached out to pat her on the shoulder, "You're not _just_ a person. You're an amazingly _wonderful_ person. Any girl would die to be you." I knew it was a girl thing. Bella must've known, and that must've been the way to avoid pissy tantrums; compliments and a hell of a lot of sucking up. I took a mental note, keeping that in mind for when it was Rosalie's turn. Ugh, why was I all of a sudden so involved with my sister's fucking period cycles? Thinking it just made me gag.

Alice's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas. "Really, Bella?" She squeaked, "Do you really mean it?"

Bella smiled widely. "Absolutely, Alice."

Alice squealed excitedly and ran to give Bella another hug. I rolled my eyes, as did Emmett. "Oh thank you, Bella, you're the best! At least someone understands me!" Em and I exchanged wary glances. Neither of us could stand girl talk. Especially from Alice. Emmett quickly dismissed myself well I had no choice but to stay at Bella's side.

For the next hour and a half, Alice talked to Bella about chick-flicks, clothes, and other girl shit. Somewhere through the middle of their conversation, Rosalie appeared and joined in as well. I felt obligated to stay with Bella, never leaving her side throughout the whole conversation. By the end of it, I almost felt as bad as her as I did for myself. Poor Bella was mostly nodding and agreeing in the parts that were necessary.

Esme or Carlisle never turned up the whole night. It turns out that they were on one of their date nights. Jasper had apparently been busy with too much homework, and Emmett was watching old horror movies.

When 9:30 rolled around, I nudged Bella's shoulder and whispered in her here, "It's time," Her eyes got wide for a second, but she quickly hid her emotions from both Alice and Rose's suspicious faces. She quickly finished the conversation she was having. I stood up, took her hand, and pulled her to her feet. Alice quickly got up and hugged her, and Rose smiled and waved goodbye.

She looked over at me, and I could see it in her eyes; The worry, the panic. I smiled warily back at her, keeping her hand in mine as I led us to the door. Before I was about to open it, Emmett quickly ran into the room. He ran straight to Bella, picked her up into a very tightly bear hug, and said his goodbyes. God, Alice was wearing off on fucking _everybody_. I shot her a worried glance after he left, afraid that he had hurt her. She gave me a small assuring smile.

When we were in the Volvo and pulling out of the driveway, her mask quickly broke. Her face was scared and strained, and it killed me. It was fucking messed up that this had to be her reaction every time she'd go home. No one should have to go home to that. "Bella," I told her, "You'll be okay." I repeated again, not sure if I was more convincing her or just myself. She smiled again, but it didn't touch her eyes.

When I pulled into her driveway and cut the engine, I turned to her. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?" I asked, puzzled if that was the right thing to do or not.

She hesitated in thought for a moment. "Well," She grimaced, "I'm not sure that that would be the best idea," She was probably right. I still wanted to though, but I wasn't going to put her in even more jeopardy by making things worse. I nodded grimly, agreeing.

She fumbled with the door to try and get out but I stopped her. I couldn't bear for her to leave just yet, as selfish as I was. Without giving her a notice, I leaned over to her seat, quickly took her face in my hands and pressed my lips firmly to her surprised ones. She kissed back though, she kissed back with urgency that frightened me. Did she really think he was going to be _that_ bad to her?

I continued kissing her, keeping her with me for as long as I could. After only another few short moments, she pulled away sighing. Her sad eyes bore into mine as she reached for the door once again, not having any trouble this time. "Bella?" I whispered, just before she shut the door behind her. She turned back to me. "Be safe," I shut my eyes and wished with all my heart that she would be okay in the morning. I wasn't sure that I could risk another nightly sneak-in, so I knew that it would be another long night as I waited for tomorrow.

She ran through the opened garage door until she disappeared into the darkness. I sigh, then pulled out of driveway, regretting the whole drive home. I wish that I could've stayed with her – Made her safe. I knew that was impossible though, because at home waiting, I knew, was _the monster_. Just thinking about him made me grit my teeth harshly together.

Funny how my mood could be one thing one second, than turn completely opposite the next. When I reached my house, I hurried up to my room without saying a word to anyone, afraid that I'd accidentally take my anger out on the wrong person. The only person who I actually _wanted_ to take my anger out on was only a few blocks away. . .with my girl. . .

I found a momentarily distraction to keep myself preoccupied. I reached for my cell phone and dialed some numbers. I got a Swedish women on the other end, asking me what service I needed. She quickly complied when I told her, and a man's voice was now on the other end. "Yes, Edward, what can I do for you?"

I smiled to myself. "Yeah, hi," I responded as politely as I could, "I'd like to add on a line to my plan." I told him, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Ah, yes indeed," the man's voice said from the other end of the line, "Hm. . .What phone would you wish for it to be?" He asked. I almost let out a laugh. Like I really fucking cared what phone Bella had. All I cared was that she got one, and got one soon. Whether it was a big bulky one, or a fucking iPhone didn't matter to me.

"Er, the same one I am currently using?" I stated as more of a question.

"Yes, yes, well I'll see what I can do," He replied quickly, "I will have people get setting you up on that right away, Mr. Cullen," He told me happily. I think somehow, he must've known how loaded my family was. I grinned, deciding to try out using my apparent advantage.

"Um, excuse me, Max is it?"

"Yes, sir?" He asked.

"As soon as fucking possible would be nice," I snickered loudly, and snapped the phone shut, knowing that her new phone would be here in three days maximum. After I was done with that task, I had the whole night ahead of me. I knew sleeping would be sort of a lost cause, because how the hell was I suppose to concentrate when Bella was at home with _him_?

I tried distracting myself again my taking a shower, pushing my luck on forgetting this whole day even happened. It seemed so far away, and so unreal. Surely everything she told me _couldn't_ have been true. I knew better though. I knew that it was, in fact, one-hundred percent true.

Once I was out of the shower, I slipped on a new pair of boxers and climbed into my bed. I knew it'd be a useless cause, but there was no harm in trying. I shut my eyes miserable, hoping that tomorrow would come faster than it ever had. . .

* * *

**Aren't you relieved?  
Now they finally know about each other!  
Well, I guess there wasn't anything **_**new**_** new in this chapter. I mean, you guys already knew about Bella's past. BUT, you did get the pleasure having Edward's protective side come in, right?**

**Well, I have another challenge for you all.  
Can you do it?  
Let's see if we can get the review count to 500+  
Huh, wouldn't** _**that**_** be freaking amazing?  
Like, so amazing that I would have to update early.  
Am I evil?  
Meh. You guys love me.  
JUST CONSIDER IT AN EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO ME.  
My birthday's tomorrow(:  
16 bby! I'm bankin' on a car, but I'll be just as happy with your reivews. xD**

_**Reviews are better than a pissy tantrum from Alice!(:**_


	16. Save You: Simple Plan

**Here's chapter 16! I can't believe we're already that far!  
It's been a long time, hasn't it? Wow, time flies.**

**I need to start out by saying thank you. Even though we didn't make it to 500 reviews, we were damn close, and I knew you guys tried. Plus, the birthday wishes you all sent..Just made my birthday that much better. So thank you for that, and if I didn't get the chance to thank you personally, just know that I read each and every review, and appreciated them all.**

**This chapter's song is** _**Save You – Simple Plan**_**  
I chose this song, because it really is the absolute perfect song for this chapter.  
After reading it, you'll see why. And if you've never heard this song, I strongly recommend listening to it after you finish reading. Like I said; Perfect fit.**

* * *

**BPOV**

Words couldn't describe how nervous I was as Edward drove me home. I mean, he had thought up this new 'plan' which he was sure would apparently work. I knew Charlie better. I didn't tell Edward that though, because he had already been way too angry about this whole thing. I had no idea he was so protective. I liked it though. One of the many reasons he made me feel so safe.

I'd go along with his plan. I'd do it because, well, I knew that it would _partly_ work out. Yes, I'd be away from Charlie a lot more, and there really wasn't anything my dad could do about it. Yes, because I'd be with Edward and his family more often.

I tried not to think of how bad the negatives would result. I knew that the timing Edward had planned out was the most reasonable. I mean, I couldn't stay at the Cullen's until ten every night; That'd just be ridiculous. I was also fine with being picked up earlier every morning, which _was_ reasonable. The part I was most nervous about was the hour I would have with Charlie every night. It was sure to be complete hell, but again, I didn't tell Edward this because of his tendency to overreact.

I knew if I did tell him, he wouldn't let me leave his side, which would be impossible. So many times I had wished my dad had picked any other job than a cop. Plus, I couldn't bear Edward getting hurt over me. I mean, the man had freaking killed his own wife! How am I not suppose to worry about him doing something equally bad to Edward? I didn't think he would; That would be too risky because the Cullen's just moved here, and I was sure that Dr. Carlisle was a smart man. I wasn't taking chances with Edward though.

I certainly didn't want him taking chances because of me either, but he wouldn't back down. I could tell he was serious when he told me that he wasn't going to let anyone hurt me. I believed him. . .only for a little bit though. I had no doubt of his capabilities, but how on earth was he suppose to protect me from Charlie? I had no clue.

I tried hiding my panic from Edward. I don't think it escaped his notice though – He kept shooting me worried glances from the road, to my face, then back to the road. I looked out the window. We were almost there.

I was so exhausted from the long day of confessions. I wanted to lay down in my bed and review everything that had happened today. I still couldn't believe that Edward had been cursed with such an awful past. I hadn't had much time to think about it lately. I was just so tired though, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Yet, I was still scared at the same time. Huh, what an odd mixture of emotions; Fear and exhaustion. I guess at this point, anything was possible.

He looked over at me, his expression full of forced confidence, "Bella," he told me quietly, "You'll be okay." I smiled back at him as convincingly as I was capable of. I knew I wasn't fooling him for one second.

I grimaced as Edward pulled into my driveway. The lights were on, obviously, and I saw the bright colors of the TV flash through the blinds. My breaths suddenly became short and shallow as my heart rate picked up. He was going to be angry. _Very_ angry.

I turned to Edward as he stopped the car. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?" He asked questioningly, studying my face. His voice was sad, as was his face. I seriously thought about it for a moment. It would sure make _me_ feel a lot better. But, I was sure that it would make my hour with Charlie even worse. I knew that he hated Edward, and that by seeing him, I'd just be fueling the fire.

I grimaced. "Well, I'm not sure that would be the best idea," I told him honestly, hoping that he would understand. I saw it in his eyes that he did as he nodded remorsefully. I began fiddling with the car door, trying to get it open when he stopped me. Before I had the chance to move, he was leaning across his seat – his hands were cradling my face and pulling me closer to him.

He pressed his lips firmly to mine, keeping them there for a long moment. I kissed him back with all of the emotion that was in me right then. I had to go though; It was already too late, and Charlie would be waiting. I sighed into his mouth and pulled away, reluctant to have him leave me. I turned for the door once again, this time not having any trouble with the handle. I opened it and stepped out, and right before I was about to close it, Edward stopped me once again.

"Bella?" He whispered, his green eyes piercing. He shut his eyes as his sweet breath blew into my face, "Be safe." I couldn't move, but I had to. Leaving Edward's side hurt me way more than anything Charlie could ever do, because right as I walked up to the door, all of the feelings of safety and security vanished along with Edward and his shiny Volvo.

Once again, I was frozen in place, afraid to open the door. I couldn't make myself move, and my breathing was coming out all crazy and wild. You'd think I was having a seizure by the way my body was jerking – Who knew; Maybe I _was_. Finally, after a few moments of building up my courage, I had the strength to turn the knob and open up the door.

I ignored the sound of Charlie's squeaky recliner as I slipped off my shoes and made my way into the house. Sure enough, once I walked through the end of our entry way, he was there – waiting. His eyes were wild; Crazed and angry at the same time. He had a can of beer in one had while the other was clenched into a fist.

I stared at him, not giving anything away on my face as his eyes gazed into mine. He just stood there, staring in disbelief. I wasn't sure when he would say something, or _do _something, so I stayed unmoving in my spot, trying to keep my breathing as calm as possible. Finally, a wicked smile began playing across his face. "So, you decided to show up, huh?" His voice was full of taunting anger.

I simply nodded at him and shrugged, confused by where all of my calmness suddenly came from. "I was at the Cullen's," I stated as if it were no big deal at all. He narrowed his eyes at me while taking another good jug from his Miller.

"The school called," He told me. I froze. Oh no, I had _completely_ forgotten about that happening when I left this morning. I felt all of my serenity suddenly wearing off as my arms started to tremble ever so slightly. "They said you weren't there today," He glared at me, keeping his eyes locked with mine. He took a step closer. "What _I_ would like to know. . ." Another step. "Is where you _really _were." I automatically inched myself back a step, afraid for him to come any closer.

"I, uh," I frowned, breaking his gaze and looking at the floor, "I didn't feel too well," I lied hopelessly, knowing already that it was a useless effort. I didn't know why I even tried. Couldn't he just get it over with already? The anxiety was just adding to the pain that was coming. All of the flaws of Edward's plan were starting to become more apparent by the second.

Charlie would be more angry because no one would be here to cook for him. He'd be more angry because no one would be able to _clean up_ after him. He'd be beyond furious that I was spending so much time away from home; So much time with Edward. I would have to tell Edward later that said plan may not be as good as we thought it would.

"You didn't feel well?" Charlie taunted with fake concern, smirking. "And yet, you had the energy to spend time with your little friends?" I knew where this was going, so I knew better than to say anything. I stood there, listening and waiting for him to just get it over with. "Do you want me to make you feel _better_?" He asked, his smirk quickly changing to a glare. "I could make you some chicken soup – Give you an aspirin?" Okay, now he was just being cruel.

"You know, Bella," He started, taking another angry step towards me. This time, I didn't move, knowing that it'd only be better if I didn't fight back. "I'm not so sure I'm okay with you having all of these new friends," He told me, coming even closer so that he was only a couple feet away. "Because then _I _don't get to spend time with you," He reached his hand out to touch my cheek. His touch was like a hot knife, tearing at my skin. I squeazed my eyes shut. "Now, I can't have _that_ can I?"

I clenched my teeth together in anticipation as I waited for the his first move to come. The hand that was caressing my cheek, quickly drew back and slapped my face hard. I gasped, but continued to stay still, hoping he would spare me by not fighting. The stinging in my cheek continued to increase as he took another step towards me, glaring.

"You were with _him_, weren't you?" He asked suddenly, furious. I didn't move or say anything, keeping the promise that I wouldn't drag Edward into any of this mess. As I had figured out today, he had his own problems and stress to worry about. I was now taking deep, labored breaths as I waited for more pain to come. We had both been standing in that same spot for ten minutes before he decided what his next action would be.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. . ." He smiled widely, terrifyingly, "What ever am I going to do with you?" I swallowed loudly, hoping he hadn't heard. My eyes were wide, and I could no longer fight the fear from showing in them. Of course Charlie saw, and of course that encouraged him. "Well, I do have a couple things in mind, actually. . ."

His foot made contact with my shin, causing my leg to give out, and for me to fall on the floor. I cringed and tenderly rubbed my leg before he striked again. He always liked it better when I was on the ground; Making him feel like an even _bigger_ man. He repeated this action, only kicking with more force this time. This time, I couldn't hold back my cry of pain as his foot made contact.

He laughed bitterly, "I sure hope you weren't planning on playing soccer anytime soon!" His loud voice boomed, filling the house with his evil cackles. Sometimes, he kind of reminded me of an evil experimental scientist who had just discovered that his Frankenstein really did come to life. I surprised myself by keeping my face dry and tear-free, though I wasn't sure how long it would stay that way.

Charlie took another gulp of beer and set the can down on a nearby table before approaching me again. Oh no, now he had _two_ free hands available. I shuddered at the possibilities of pain that would soon be coming. Then, he did something I completely wasn't expecting. He put a hand on each side of my head, and once he had a nice grasp, started shaking it. I tried pushing at his arms, trying to get him to release his grip, but he was just too strong.

His violent shaking had my head throbbing, as he continued for the next few minutes. Finally, stopped, giving me a break. My head hurt so bad, my ears rang uncontrollably, and I felt like I was going to throw up from motion sickness. Before I knew, tears were pooling out of my eyes, unable for me to control them. I sat there panting, wanting it all to stop.

He left me along for about ten minutes, finishing up his beer and the last of his game before he came back to me once again. The wicked smirk and gleam of excitement was present in his eyes as he took in my broken form on the ground. I hadn't gotten up, or ran, because for one, I couldn't. Two, he'd find me, and I'd be guaranteed even more hell than what he had just done before.

This time, he didn't give me much notice when he shoved his fist into my stomach. Hard, but not as hard as I would have expected. I couldn't tell if he was becoming too drunk, or if just wasn't as in to it as before. An uncontrolled scream escaped the house, causing him to get frustrated. He hated it when I made noise. Well, actually, he loved it. He just hated the fact that someone might hear.

I had been home for all of a half an hour, and halfway through his session, his phone rang. Not the land line; His _police duty_ cell phone rang loudly from his pocket. The only time that he ever got calls from that phone was when they needed him somewhere. He practically growled at the phone, slapped me hard in the face one last time, and answered it. "Yeah, what?" His tone was very impolite as he grumbled into the phone, listening to the voice on the other end unamused.

Once he slammed his phone shut angrily, he turned to glare at me. "Somebody started an old abandoned farm on fire," His voice was unpleased. "It's on the outskirts of town, and they want me to go help out and find any evidence." Why was he telling me this? I didn't care. All I cared about was that he would be done for the night, and that he most likely wouldn't be home until way later. "Fucking kids," He muttered angrily under his breath.

Normally, if a building was on fire, the firemen would be called to duty. In a town as small as Forks of course, they'd send three firetrucks, two cop cars, and one ambulance. This was the first time ever where I was glad that Charlie was a cop. I tried hard to keep the smile of relief off my face as I nodded at him, hoping he wouldn't hurt me again before he left.

I must've been lucky, because without another glance, he quickly put his shoes on, grabbed his stuff, and was out the door in a flash. I heard the sounds of the sirens outside the house. They soon vanished in the distance. I tried with great effort to get myself off of the floor, moaning at the pain covering my body. As I was standing up, the handle on the front door turned. I froze. I knew for sure that it wasn't Charlie, so I was terrified as to who it _would_ be.

I caught a flash of bronze as suddenly, a very familiar figure came into view. My savior. Edward. The first thing I wanted to do was to throw my arms around his neck and have him hold me, taking away all of my pain. Then, reality set in and I was suddenly curious. What was he doing here? We stared at each other. His green eyes were concerned as he studied me carefully.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, apparently not having any strength left to actually talk.

His face was wary. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay," He told me, shooting me a small smile. His eyes were still worried though, and I wondered what mine were showing.

"But," I started to mumbled, "What about Charlie?" I asked him, bewildered. "How did you–. . .He's not here. . .How did you know that?" My mind clearly wasn't working right, and my exhaustion was starting to mess with my speech. I sighed, giving up and just letting him talk.

"Oh, Charlie," He said nonchalantly, shrugging, "Yeah, he's at a fire, right?"

I started to nod, but then stopped. "Yeah, but how–" My voice quickly trailed off as realization dawned on me. He noticed, and a crooked smile slowly crept across his face. I stared at him in awe. "You started the fire?" I whispered quietly, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, "Yeah, that was me." At first I was shocked. Then, after I got over that, I was thankful. Somehow, he must've known that Charlie would get called if something like that happened. My eyes formed with wetness, though not from the pain. I slowly walked over to him, and once I reached him, wrapped both of my arms around his waist. I rested my head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me too, returning the embrace. His chin rested on the top of my head.

"Thank you," I whispered breathlessly, still amazed by just. . .him.

After a few moments, he lightly pushed me away, making us far enough apart so that he could look at me. That concerned look came back to his face as his brow furrowed. "Are you alright, Bells?" He asked, stroking my numb cheek, making it feel better than it ever had.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled. He laughed humorlessly, shaking his head. I was such a bad lair – I'd really need to work on that some more. I'd never lie to Edward, though the only reason I did was so that he wouldn't worry too much.

He walked us over to my couch and helped me sit down, sitting down next to me. He wrapped an arm around me as I rested my head on his shoulder. I sighed contently, happy that he was here, helping me forget how awful Charlie's punishment had just been. "What did he do to you?" Edward asked tenderly, pressing his lips to my hair.

I bargained with him, "Why don't you tell me about your night first?" I wagered, knowing already that he'd agree. He snickered, nuzzling my hair with his nose playfully.

"If you really wanna here it," He chuckled. I nodded for him to tell me. He sighed, "Well, after I dropped you off, I was about to go home when I thought of something. I was too afraid of how he would treat you once you got inside, so I thought up the first thing that came into my mind," He was editing; I could tell. I let him go on though, "Don't worry, it was a very old farm house in the middle of no where. It probably had been abandoned for a good hundred years, so I knew it'd be a safe place to do it."

"I picked somewhere that was close enough to town so that somebody would notice the fire, but still far enough away so that it was safe." He told me proudly, "I needed to get him away from you," He said with sudden urgency, "I needed to make you safe." His jaw was clenched into a hard line as I felt him tense up next to me.

"Wait, how did you get it all done so fast then?" I asked, stalling for some more time, but also still curious.

My favorite crooked smile spread across his face as he looked down at me, "I like to drive _fast_," He winked. I couldn't help but let out an unsurprised laugh. It really didn't surprise me at all that he liked to do that. I mean, it was so. . ._Edward_. "Plus, the house wasn't _that_ far away." I nodded in consent as his face became serious again.

"Now, why don't you tell me about _your_ night?" He asked glumly, kissing my forehead lightly.

I decided it'd be best if I just got it out quickly and told him everything. I wanted to keep that trust we had formed, and I wanted to keep my side of the promise. I had promised him that I'd tell him everything that happened. "Well, he slapped my face first, yelling at me for skipping school," I paused, "Then, he kicked me in the shin twice, causing me to fall," I tried my best to keep my voice sounding calm and unscathed. "After that, he shook my head pretty hard for a while, punched me in the stomach, and slapped me again." I finished, taking a deep breath.

Edward had become completely stiff next to me, his fists bawling up, his teeth snapping together. He let out a pained sigh and shook his head slowly. "Oh god," He whispered to himself, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have let this happen, I should have done something sooner. . ." I peaked my eyes up to his.

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered back, smiling. "It wasn't your fault. I mean, what could you've done?" That obviously was the wrong question to ask – He started to beat himself up some more when I stopped him again. I mashed my lips into his, getting him to shut up. I pulled away, staring into his pained eyes. "Listen," I told him seriously, "I'm _grateful_ that you did what you did tonight. Hell, I wasn't even expecting you to do anything. So the fact that you did. . .It's just. . ." I didn't want to say it. Too embarrassing.

"It's just what?" He asked quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. His emerald eyes were somehow smoldering. How the heck did he do that? I think he knew it got me every time.

I sighed. "It's just that I'm so glad I have you," I admitted shyly, blushing and looking away. I was afraid that I was starting to sound to clingy, so I didn't say anything more. He didn't say anything, just kissing my forehead lightly once again. After a few moments of silence, he sighed and stood up. I lifted myself up as well, using all of the strength I had.

"Well, you better get some rest," He told me, his eyes somber. "I told myself I wouldn't stay too long; Just long enough so that I could make sure you were okay," His eyes grew slightly dark when he said that, but then he smiled. "I mean, we don't want the chief coming home with me here – Not that he'll be home soon though. Trust me, if I must say so myself, I did _good_." His cocky grin had me giggling again.

I rolled my eyes and walked with him to the door. "Do you think you're going to be okay?" He teased jokingly. I grimaced at him. "I'm sure I'll manage," I responded sarcastically.

"Well, run upstairs and get some sleep, okay?" I liked this side of Edward. The side where he could be serious yet humorous at the same time. He brought his finger up, and with the tip traced the bags under each of my eyes. He sighed. "You look so tired." I playfully swatted his hand away.

"So do you," I told him, laughing, "You know, _I'm_ not the only one who needs a good night's rest." He smirked and brought his mouth up into my favorite uneven smile. "Fair enough," He agreed, kissing me lightly on the lips then walking out the door, leaving me breathlessly watching after him in the door way. I wondered if his family ever noticed his absence. I wondered if they cared. So far, I was sure that Edward had kept his promise. And though I trusted him with it, I was still worried that it would accidentally slip out sooner or later.

I'd just have to hope for the best though, I told myself. One last look around the quiet house and I slowly headed up to my bedroom, both happy and sad at the same time. I was happy because, well, obvious reasons. I was sad of Charlie's cruel punishments for the night, and that Edward had to leave so soon. I silently scolded myself for becoming so dependent. He was like my drug though – I was hooked. Translation: I was pathetic.

I brushed out my knotted hair, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and was ready for bed; Still no signs of Charlie. It was turning out to be a better night than I had originally predicted. Thanks to Edward and all his glory. Being as tired as I was, I quickly set my alarm clock a little earlier than usual – Due to the new schedule, and soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Unconsciously excited for the morning. . .

**EPOV**

The next month went by a lot faster than I would have ever guessed. So far, I had remained faithful to the promise I had made Bella, though I'd almost slipped a couple of times. Alice and Rosalie weren't stupid; They had their suspicions. So did Emmett. I guess it didn't help that they talked so much in the art class they shared. I was more glad than frustrated though, because at least she had someone. And then there was Jasper, who, I really didn't need to worry about. He was a "keep to yourself" kind of guy.

School hadn't changed much. Ever since that fight with James, he had been staying away from Bella. Well, at least when _I_ was around. Which I was most of the time, though I couldn't help but worry just a little when she was by herself. Victoria and her clan of bitches had been surprisingly nice to her lately, though she must've known the real reasoning behind it because she still was indifferent about them. I would never understand the fucking confusing language of girls.

I think that Esme and Carlisle were the most suspicious of all though, and definitely the worst. After the first week of having Bella there for a majority of the day, the questions began. With my greatest effort, I convinced them that I was just crazy about this girl – Which was true. I just wasn't telling them what a small part of the truth it was. After a while, Carlisle gave up asking me anymore. Esme, not so much. She was the hardest to deny, too. It hurt me so much to have to lie to her all the time. I did it for Bella though. Always for Bella.

I had been trying as hard as fucking possible to keep Bella away from Charlie for as much as possible. After I had gotten that fire inspiration, the ideas sort of just started coming. I knew since he was chief of police, he'd be called to duty the most often. I'd get home, disguise my voice and call the station with a completely fake emergency somewhere a half hour away; Sometimes, I'd even get Em and Jazz to play along too, convincing them that I was just really into prank calling. I'd try just about everything I could whenever I could.

There were just some nights I couldn't do anything about fate though. The cell phone plan worked to a certain degree. Once it arrived and I gave it to her, she'd text me every night to tell me that she was in her bed, safe and sound. When I didn't get a message, I knew something was wrong or bad. Those were the nights that I'd have to sneak in, just like I had the first time. It was always risky, but a necessary risk.

It didn't happen _that_ often, but when it did, I'd usually find her lying on the floor somewhere, indicating that she'd passed out or been knocked out. You'd think I'd have gotten used to it, but it just got worse and worse every time I saw her crumpled and broken. On those nights, first I'd make sure that her breathing was normal, than I'd carefully lift her up into my arms and carry her to her bed. I didn't have any trouble with it because she was just so damn light, but I still always had to be careful.

One night, I had almost gotten caught. Bella hadn't texted me, and it was after eleven-thirty, so I came to investigate. It turns out, I had come too early. I came in through the back door, like always, and walked a couple of steps in when I realized the lights were still on. Then, I heard the TV. I ran out of there so fast, I think I could've set a new Olympic record. The next day I had been relieved to find Bella in descent conditions. After that night, I had always been more careful.

When I'd pick Bella up early every morning, we'd always go back to my house for a good twenty minutes before leaving to school. All of these things sort of fell into place as the Edward and Bella routine. Alice and the rest of my family might have had their suspicions, but after a while they got used to it and didn't say anything. Even though our routine had its kinks, it was still the best solution there could be. At least, the best solution that would work for _her_. Solution A was still up in the air, but she'd never give in or let me tell someone.

Neither her or I seemed to mind all of the time we spent together. We sort of became inseparable. We talked more. We trusted more. We became way more intimate, kissing whenever we had the chance. Just overall closer in general. This girl was becoming my whole life, and she had me wrapped around her fucking finger without even knowing it. Everyday I'd spend with her, I'd like her more and more.

So when I got up this morning, excited as usual to get to see Bella, I glanced outside and noticed something unusual. The sun. We hadn't had a nice day in fucking ages, and I knew that'd make Bella smile, so I couldn't wait to share it with her. I ran downstairs, ate my breakfast in a rush, and ran out the door. Alice was in the garage, cleaning out her car as I hurried past her. She rolled her eyes and smirked at me as I pulled out.

I got to Bella's house in record timing, and decided since the weather was nice, I'd actually walk to the door to get her. Forgetting all about Charlie for the moment, I cheerfully knocked on the door twice, waiting for a response. I got nervous when after thirty seconds, there wasn't one. Hesitantly, I knocked again. This time, I only had to wait fifteen seconds before it finally opened.

My eyes grew wide as I gasped in horror. There Bella was, my Bella, standing – well, _wobbling_ in the doorway with tired eyes that could barely be kept open. I immediately gave her a once over, checking for any signs of damage to her body. I didn't see anything new; Only old bruises and scars. I couldn't be sure she wasn't hurt though, so I was suddenly feeling completely uneasy. My chipper attitude that had been, vanished. She sure didn't _look_ okay.

"Let's go," I managed to choke out after a few seconds of awkward silence, carefully reaching for her hand and grasping it in mine. As we turned around and were about to shut the door, _he_ suddenly appeared into view. Bella instinctively cringed, and I automatically moved closer to her. I didn't care what Bella said, he wasn't going to fucking lay a hand on her with me around.

"Hey, honey," He called, waving his hand and grinning at us, completely fake, "Have a good day at school, okay?" I could hear her swallow hard as she nodded slowly. He turned his smile to me. I just stared at him. "You too, Edward!" He called. What fucking bullshit. Did he honestly think I didn't know what was going on here? The only thing that kept me from beating that poor motherfucker's ass was Bella's tiny fingers, wrapped around mine. Hell, _I _cared about Bella more than her own fucking father did. _That_ was messed up.

Bella didn't move, whether she couldn't or was just too afraid, I wasn't sure. So, I took the liberty of slamming the door right in Charlie's pathetic face, with a huge grin on mine. That grin disappeared right as we climbed into the car and I was alone with Bella. She was looking away, messing with the window.

"What happened?" I demanded as soon as we pulled out. "What did he do now?" The fury in my voice wasn't hard to detect. I couldn't control myself though. Her dad was the one person who truly pushed me over my limits.

She was staring absentmindedly out the window, and didn't answer at first. We were almost to my house already, so I slowed the car a little, needing to hear her response. She realized what I was doing, and turned to face me. Her big brown eyes were troubled. She just stared at me, not saying a word.

I couldn't help myself. I reacted just the way I promised I never would. I got frustrated, and yelled at her. I fucking yelled. At Bella. "God dammit," I cursed, shaking my head, "Are we back to that?" I asked harshly, not being able to stop, "Are we seriously back to all of _that_ bullshit?" I shook my head again and looked away, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.

She sighed sadly, and I turned to look at her again. She wasn't staring at me anymore – She had looked away. I didn't blame her; _I _would have done the same thing. I was disgusted with myself. I sighed too, "Look, Bella," I said in a low tone, emphasizing how bad I felt about it, "I'm sorry. Really." I paused, "I just, I can't stand seeing you like this." My words held more pain on the inside than they did actually saying them. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for me to see her hurt all of the time.

She looked back at me again, meeting my remorseful gaze. She gave me a sad, half-smile and nodded. "It's okay, Edward. _I'm_ the one who should be sorry," She frowned. "I'm not fair to you all of the time, and I know it. I just. . .there are somethings that I'm afraid will make you too upset." She took a deep breath, "Like what if I told you that he locked me in the garage all night?"

I froze and held my hand up in the air to stop her. "Wait, _he locked you in the garage_? Like, _all_ night? As in, _the fucking garage_?" My voice was breathless; A mixture of disbelief and anger. She nodded slowly, her eyes wide with innocence. "It was like, what, forty degrees out last night! He fucking just locked you out?" I was shocked. We were now just pulling into my driveway, but neither of us moved. I had to know the rest of this story.

"Yeah," She said sadly, looking down at her hands in her lap. "It _was_ forty degrees last night, and he did just lock me out." She confirmed my words to be true. I shook my head, disgusted.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought you were okay, I mean, you sent the text like normal," I asked, confused and angry that this had happened. I could have done something. I could have fucking helped.

"Yeah, I went up to my bedroom, like normal," She told me, "He hit me a few times, but nothing major," She made it sound like it was completely normal for a dad to abuse his child. And normally, when Bella sad 'nothing major', she wasn't always telling the truth. "So when I was about to go to sleep, I _did_ text you like normal, because I _was_ okay." She paused, looking away for a second, than bringing her eyes back to mine. Her voice became just a whisper, "But I guess I was wrong. He must not have been satisfying with the night's work, so he threw me into the garage, letting me out when he woke up in the morning." I stared at her, concerned more than she could imagine. "I didn't have my phone with me, so I couldn't tell you about it either."

I brought my hands up to rub my temples, groaning. How could I have let this happen? I took my fist and punched it into the dash board, needing to take my anger out somehow. Bella looked unsurprised. . .and tired. She must not have gotten any sleep last night at all. "Bella, let's not go to school, I mean, you're as tired as hell, and you need a break." I told her honestly, my voice was strained. I mean, it had been a while since we last skipped. It _was_ healthy to do every now and then.

She was shaking her head in disagreement before I could even finish my sentence, "No, Edward, I'm fine really." Would she ever get better at lying? I hoped not. She was too easy, and I knew that it'd only be a matter of minutes before I had her convinced.

I inched my face closer to hers, staring into her eyes with tenderness. I spoke softy, no more than a whisper, "Come on, Bells," I pleaded, "You need rest." She was about to protest before I held out a finger to her lip, "Please, for me?" I asked, knowing already that I had won. All I needed was to seal my plea with perfection. As light as a feather, I brushed my lips against hers, and then took her pouty bottom lip in mine, sucking it gently, waiting for her to give in.

She let me continue for a few moments before sighing and pulling away. "Fine," She yawned, proving my theory to be true, "We won't go," She repeated my words, "_But_, we need to call in this time so Charlie doesn't find out. . ." She paused and her eyes became dark for just a second as she added, ". . .Like last time. . ." I nodded in agreement, and before another would could be said, opened my door and walked around the front of the car to get hers.

Once she was out, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close, subtly supporting all of her weight as I knew her exhausted body couldn't handle much more. We walked into the house, past Emmett and Rosalie in the kitchen. I ignored Emmett's not-so-subtle innuendos as I walked us to the stairs. Jasper was sitting on the bottom stair with Alice happily perched on his lap. They were in a discussion about movies in the seventies. Both of them looked at the two of us and smirked.

"Skipping _again_, Edward?" Alice asked me, whispering something into Jasper's ear and turning back to giggle. "What do you two _do_ anyways?" Bella blushed, embarrassed. Me, on the other hand; I was mad. My face clearly said fuck-off, but apparently she hadn't noticed. "I mean, she's right. Seven hours. . .That is an _awful_ long time." Jasper laughed.

Why, oh why did they pick today out of all days to mess with me? Bella was staring at the ground, clearly uncomfortable. Were they fucking blind? Could they not see the signs of tiredness that Bella possessed? You really _would_ have to be blind not to notice. I gritted my teeth together, "No, actually," I smiled curtly, "Bella's really worn out, and I decided that she deserved a day in bed." I told them honestly, leaving out the important details. I also avoided using the phrase 'Bella hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in a while', because I knew my immature siblings wouldn't be able to handle it.

Jasper chuckled one last time and nodded. Alice's look however, scared me. It was knowing. Like she somehow _knew_ something was up. I wouldn't have been surprised that she did. It _was_ obvious. Not all of it though. A part of me wanted her to find out though, because I knew that Alice wouldn't have it if Bella told her that she was fine, because, well, Alice was Alice. She cared about her almost as much as I did. And technically, if Alice _did_ find out on her own, Bella couldn't yell at me for breaking my promise. These were all things I'd have to consider.

They moved out of the way so that we could get up the stairs, and as soon as we were gone, went back to laughing and talking. Sometimes, I really did envy them. The two of them could be together with completely no worries or hesitation. They were able to be totally carefree, not having to worry about what anyone said or did when they were together. I shook off the thought thought, stopping myself from hating them.

Keeping Bella snugly against my side, I walked us down the hallway and into my room, shutting the door behind us. I was sure no one would come in, but either way I just felt like we had more privacy and security. I released my arm from around her and walked over towards my bed. I laid down on one side, propping myself up with my elbow, and patted the open space next to me. "Climb in, little cuddle buddy," I grinned at her, chuckling.

She smiled widely at me and yawned, then came to join me on the bed. As soon as she was next to me, she turned to give me a skeptical look. "Cuddle buddy?" She giggled, poking at my chest lightly.

I let out a loud laugh, "Hell yeah," I smiled, "You better believe it." Then, not hesitant at all, I reached for her, wrapped one arm around her waist as the other was free to gently stroke up and down her back lightly, and pulled her closer – Keeping her body tightly up against mine. "I mean," I whispered into her ear, "You're just so soft. So _warm_. Of course you'd be the person I'd want to cuddle with," I laughed again, kissing her forehead as she nuzzled her face into my chest. "I was serious about the sleeping thing," I added, "You _are _really tired. I can tell." She nodded, as she pressed herself so that there was no unnecessary space between us. It was like she could read my mind.

I really did want her to sleep, but I definitely wasn't going to be. I had way too much on my mind for that. I just realized that we had never done this before; Slept together. _Not_ in the sex since, but just in general. It felt nice, having her in my arms peacefully. And I knew after doing this with her once, I would only want to do it again and again. That's just how it was with Bella. We'd make out for ten minutes, and afterwards, I'd just want more. That ten minutes wouldn't be enough, and would soon turn into twenty. It was like that with everything. At school, was the worse. Often times, she'd kiss me without notice, and then pull away too quickly. That was really all we _could_ do.

I remained silent as I listen to her breaths quickly become soft and deep, indicating that she had fallen into that much-needed sleep. I smiled to myself – She was so cute when she slept, and just because I could, I lightly kissed her nose, both cheeks, and than, her slightly parted lips. I had to admit, I felt a little weird kissing someone who was unconscious, but hey, there was a time for everything, right?

I was surprised at how fast the morning went by. About a half hour after she fell asleep, I remembered to call the school just as she had said, making my voice sound as Charlie-ish as possible. I hated even the thought of _pretending_ to be that man. It was just fucking wrong.

Bella slept soundlessly in my arms, her quiet breathing calming me the whole time. I wondered what she was dreaming about. I wondered if she was dreaming about me, because I sure dreamed of her a hell of a lot. As always though, reality came crashing to me in a harsh way. I reminded myself that Bella hardly ever had the chance to relax, to be stress-free. She never could truly feel safe, or secure. She was scared to death to trust someone, for fear she'd just be hurt again. Isabella Swan went through probably the worst pain imaginable, and I couldn't take any of this shit anymore. _She_ shouldn't _have_ to take any of this shit anymore.

My peaceful morning began turning into a disturbing afternoon. I couldn't stop thinking about how fucked up this whole situation was. Even with Bella in my arms, I still couldn't seem to get a hold of myself. This wasn't right. None of this was right. Why couldn't I just tell someone? Would that make me a bad person? These choices I had to face, they were _agonizing_. I was torn between two very different options: Tell someone, make things better for Bella, but loose her trust and faith in me, and possibly even loose her. _Or_, keep my mouth shut like she had asked and continue to suffer along with her. There had to be an alternative.

Bella suddenly stirred in my arms, her eyes fluttering open. She frantically shot them in every direction until they found mine. Once they did, she relaxed and a slow smile spread across her face. I decided to let her go, letting her have the opportunity to stretch. I released my arms from around her as she slowly sat up. I sat up along with her.

She reached her arms above her head, cringing at the soreness, I was guessing, and then turned to smile sheepishly at me. "What time is it?" She asked, looking around.

"It's only a little after two," I responded, my voice sounded lifeless, but what more could you expect? She let out a low, surprised chuckle, smoothening out her clothes and her hair.

"Did you sleep well?" An automatic question. My voice still was almost robotic-like, and I couldn't really put any emotion into it. I couldn't help it; My mind was completely numb. She smiled at me warmly and nodded. She had been wearing a sweatshirt before, but decided to take it off now, due to the sudden warmness radiating throughout the room.

She took it off, only to reveal a tight brown tank top, showing off her beat-up arms. I couldn't look even look anymore, shaking my head and turning away. Then, I backtracked, because I had noticed something that hadn't been there yesterday, or the day before. Without thinking, I reached out for Bella's arm and gently held it out for examination. There was a bruise, bigger than I had ever seen before, placed right in the middle of her forearm. I clenched my eyes shut and moaned.

"Bella. . ." I started, knowing that she already knew what I was referring to. She gave me a sad smile as I released her arm. I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't play this game. I got up off the bed and walked towards the door, not exactly thinking of what I was doing.

"Where are you going?" I heard her ask, voice still coming from the bed. There was a slight tint of worry in it, but I ignored her and reached for the doorknob. "Edward, stop," She told me, her voice pathetically weak and fragile. I sighed and turned around, leaning my back against the door and crossing my arms.

"Where do you think I'm going, Bella?" I asked her, venom seeping out of my voice unintentionally. "I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago." Her eyes widen with horror at the realization of my words.

"No, Edward, you can't!" She cried, shuffling to get off of my bed. "Please, no, no don't! Every thing's fine!" As she said that, she cringed and gasped quietly at the movements as she attempted to get off the bed. I just couldn't stand her pain anymore. She had to have known that.

"See, Bella?" I groaned, frustrated. "That's exactly what I'm talking about!" My voice was on the verge of yelling.

"No, really, it's noth– " I cut her off abruptly, before she even had the chance to say the words. I glared at her from across the room, and shook my head in disagreement.

"Don't even finish that," I told her darkly, my voice was quiet now, sort of menacing. It almost scared _me_. "Do not even start to try and tell me it's nothing," I said, taking a step towards her. I waved my hand, gesturing up and down her broken body. "_That's_ not nothing." I stated angrily.

Angry tears began to fill her eyes, something that happened instinctively whenever she was mad, or even frustrated. We just stared at each other for a few moments, not saying anything. I felt bad, but at the same time was glad to get this all off my chest. Once I knew I was calm enough to speak, my voice was soft now.

"Bella," I said, "I can protect you, keep you safe. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it in a heartbeat for you, and you know that." I took another step towards her, "I can save you." My voice was almost pleading.

Her face remained calm, clearly in denial of my words. "No, Edward," She told me calmly, "You can't." And then I was done. I was done having her tell me that everything was always okay, and that everything would turn out fine in the end, because it _wouldn't_. Not if we continued to keep this shit up. This was getting beyond ridiculous. Everything _wouldn't_ turn out okay in the end if neither of us did anything about this.

"Yes Bella," I gritted through my teeth, "I _can_. What I can't do is watch from the sidelines, okay? I can't watch you day after day, when you always pretend nothing's wrong. Every bruise, cut, or scar you get. . .Bella, _I_ get it too. I can't _not_ do something." My voice was changing from anger to defeat. "I can't watch this pain consume you, because it's killing me too. I can't turn my back and pretend nothing's wrong, because _I'm not strong enough_. That's what I _can't _do."

Her expression then turned into the most heartbreaking face I had ever seen her make. I was almost afraid she would collapse. Her eyes, pain-filled and scared, staring into mine as the tears spilled out. I didn't say anything more, and neither did she for the moment. My words always sent me to even deeper realization after I said them out loud. I was glad that I had told her all of that. Now, at least, she knew.

After what seemed like ages, she finally started walking to me, ever so slowly. Her lips parted as she let out a sad sigh, stopping a few feet in front of me. "Why do you even care so much?" She whispered questioningly, her eyes were strained – Not as tired anymore, just stressed.

"I. . .I'm not. . ." I whispered, stuttering to find my answer. Why _did_ I care. I couldn't figure out a fact that seemed so obvious, yet so hard at the same time. "I don't know." I told her honestly. Why were my feelings suddenly so hard to explain? My answer probably should have gone into the book of "lame-ass responses". I mean, seriously. What was _that_?

She nodded her head, keeping my gaze locked with hers before walking past me to the door. "I'm going to go," She told me; The words like knives through my skin. "I just. . .I think I need some alone time. Think over things and stuff." Her words might have been true. Maybe we _did_ need a short break from each other after our tense little argument, but I sure as hell wasn't letting her go home early if that meant more Charlie time.

I reached out and grabbed her hand before she could walk out, pulling her back in. She cringed at the pain that movement had created, and I instantly let go, kicking myself internally for that. I was a jackass, and I knew it. "No, you should stay here," I told her quietly, "I mean. . .Charlie?"

She shook her head in disagreement. "He's gone for the next two days," She told me, "He left around lunch," Normally, that fact would have made me want to do a back-flip, but all that I could manage was a small smile. I nodded at her.

"If you're sure?" I asked one more time, already knowing her answer. It just hurt to know that she wouldn't be with me for the rest of the day. I knew there would be nothing to say that would make her stay here, so I just gave up and let her go, knowing that tomorrow would already be better.

She smiled sadly at me, and before leaving, walked to me without hesitation. She fold herself into me, wrapping her arms around my torso and resting her head on my chest. Not even needing to think about it, I encircled her tightly in my arms, laying my head on hers. "I'll be back tomorrow," She whispered to me softly, assuringly. "Thank you, Edward, for the sleep. For everything." And then I was decided. I wouldn't say anything for now. How could I? I couldn't deny Bella. I wasn't ready to even try. And I already knew she wanted to walk home, so I didn't even try to offer.

"Anytime, Bells," I managed to half-smile, kissing her hair and letting her go, reminding myself that I would see her in the next twenty-four hours, and that Charlie wouldn't hurt her tonight. As she walked out the door, somehow, that fact wasn't enough to calm me.

* * *

**Wow, that was a long chapter, wasn't it?  
Well, I didn't really have a good place to cut it off, and a lot of import things happened. Plus, I thought you guys deserved it, for just being so kick-ass, ya know?  
Well, I suppose I have some questions to answer...**

**ARE WE EVER GOING TO SEE EDWARD'S POV OF THE NIGHT WHERE HE STARTED THE FIRE?****: **_**Yeah, I'm thinking about doing Face Down outtakes in the near future, and that will definitely be one of them; What was going through his mind when he started it, how he decided that it was the best solution, etc. Along with others you guys might request to hear.**_

**WHY DID YOU SKIP LIKE, A WHOLE MONTH?****: **_**If you didn't care for that, then I apologize. I did it because I felt it was necessary. To move the story along a little so that I wouldn't need to give you guys a play-by-play of each day when the same things happened. I knew it would get boring. I can promise you though, that I probably won't do anything like it again for a while. If you're still wondering why I did, you can PM and I'll answer as clear as possibly.**_

**DID EDWARD AND BELLA GET IN A FIGHT? WHAT WAS WITH THE ENDING?****: **_**It wasn't a fight, just more of a "I think we need a break for a couple hours to think some things over and whatnot" kind of thing. Yeah, they were both mad at each other, but do you really think they could stay that way for long? Edward was just pushed to beyond his limits and snapped. That's why he said some asshole-ish things.**_

**If I didn't answer all of your questions, feel free to PM or ask it in your review. I'd be happy to answer.  
The next chapter will start out in EPOV, because let's be honest, there are a lot of unanswered questions that I need to clarify.  
I'd appreciate your feedback! This was a hell of a long chapter! Whoa. I think it's the longest yet!**

**Oh, and check out my new** _**YouTube**_** channel! My username is ****DazzlingPerfection**** (Yeah, SimplyDazzling was taken...D:) I've got a couple of videos posted, as I am learning the ways of video-making. =D Hah, check it out!!**

_**Reviews are better than what Edward can't do!(:**_


	17. Taking Over Me: Evanescence

**Finally, chapter 17.  
I apologize for the lateness – 4****th**** of July weekend had me busy as hell.  
Sorry, this chapter is more on the short side because if I would have kept going, I wouldn't have been able to end it at a good place. Since it's a little shorter, I'll put up the next chapter sooner. Deal?  
**

**This chapter's song is_ Taking Over Me – Evanescence  
_I chose this song on both parties. In general, the song really does fit the emotions going on in this chapter. Edward more so than Bella, but still.  
Hah, you'll see. Just read the chapter(:  
(Wow, how was that for a short author's note?!)**

* * *

**EPOV**

After Bella left, my emotions were so far off, I had no fucking clue what I even was suppose to do. I sat on my bed for the first hour after she left, awaiting the arrival of my siblings, dazed and confused. Could anything be more fucking complicated? Her words continued to run through my mind – _Why do you even care so much?_ She had said. And I had to have given her the most shit-ass answer anyone could ever come up with. In fact, I was _still_ kicking myself for it. Edward Fucking Douchebag Cullen, was what my mom should have named me.

I couldn't even be comforted by the fact that she would be okay tonight, because I knew I _wouldn't_. I knew that I had somehow managed to fuck all of this shit up before it even had the chance to be something, all because of my stupid fucking anger that couldn't be controlled. I shouldn't have even said anything in the first place. I hung my head in my hands, waiting for some type of self-inflicted punishment to wash over me.

I had just heard footsteps come through the front door, indicating that they were home. I almost wanted to yell for Emmett, giving him the okay to beat the shit out of me. Hell, I should have called _James_. I knew he'd at least do it, and do it happily for that matter. But I couldn't dwell on any of this for long, because I still had bigger things to worry about. Like what was I even suppose to fucking do now?

My plan had always been to let the chips fall where they may, but those fucking chips were starting to let me down. Obviously we _couldn't_ go back to our previous routine, because I knew we had both realized that it just wasn't good enough. I didn't give a shit if it worked _okay_. I needed it to work _perfect_. Bella deserved perfect. She sure as hell deserved better than me, I reminded myself, causing me to feel impossibly more shitty by the second. It was all true though.

After another half an hour of loathing in self-hatred, I trudged my way downstairs, dreading any form of communication what so ever. I was being melodramatic and I knew it, but I just couldn't fucking help it. I hated myself; Simple as that. I was met by Alice and Rose in the kitchen, who turned to smile at me, but both stopped dead in there tracks because of whatever facial expression I was currently showing. I knew it must have been bad. Alice's face was shocked, Rose's didn't look surprised. She knew me better than to think that everything was always okay with me. "What's wrong, little brother?" She asked in a bored, yet concerned tone. She was older than me by one fucking month, and she'd never let me forget it.

"Yeah, where's Bella?" Alice asked anxiously, scanning her eyes around the room searching. She _had_ to ask the one question that would make my mood get impossibly worse. I growled at her. I fucking _growled_. Once again, Rose looked unsurprised. Alice's face fell again, but I couldn't even feel bad about my actions. I knew it'd have to happen sooner or later; Snapping at my family. Just another thing to show that I truly had been pushed to my limits.

Why _did_ I care so much? I still hadn't figured out the answer, and I knew that I'd need to soon, or I'd be fucked. I ignored both their questions, unable to form words; unable to think. I wasn't mad any more. I had gotten passed that. Now, I was sad. Completely depressed, actually. How could I have let Bella down so badly? After everything I had promised her. I shook my head in disgust, looking around for something to eat. I had just remembered now that we skipped lunch.

Both girls remained sitting at the table, whispering to each other as my lifeless form dragged along, searching for food. After a while, Rose got bored and left, but Alice stayed in her place, as persistent as ever.

_Why do you even care so much?_ Her words were still in my head after this long, and I couldn't shake them out. I couldn't shake them out _or _answer them correctly. I couldn't answer a simple question that should have been obvious. In fact, I _knew_ it was obvious, _I _just clearly wasn't smart enough to figure it out. I needed to pull my head out of my ass, is what I needed to do.

Finally, I just gave up with the search and poured myself a bowl of cereal. Even that damn dog thing on the Cookie Crisp box didn't cheer me up. To humor her, I sat down across from Alice at the dinner table. She was playing a game of Solitaire with herself. _The game of the lonely_, as I had always teased her about. Now, I wasn't even in the mood for teasing. I couldn't muster the words out of me. She only looked up at me for a second once I sat down, only to go back to her solitude card game.

I began shoving spoonfuls of cereal in my mouth – My thoughts still desperately searching for the answers that I needed. And then, all of a sudden. . .It hit me. Jasper hitting me in the head with a frying pan wouldn't have been more obvious than what I had just realized. In fact, I probably wouldn't have even noticed if he did. Alice must have heard my sudden in take of breath as she looked up at me.

"Holy fuck," I whispered breathlessly, shaking my head for clarity. My eyes must have been about double their original size. I gasped. I was in love with Isabella Marie Swan. _That's_ what I had been missing all along. My spoon fell out of my shocked hands with a loud _clank_ on the table. It was all so obvious now. I couldn't believe I hadn't figured it out before. I hadn't even let the thought cross my mind, because I knew that I would never be capable of loving anyone after what had happened. Now that the thought was in my mind, I had it processed, and I knew it was true.

I was protective of her, _because_ _I loved her_. I needed to be with her so much, _because_ _I loved her_. I couldn't live without her, _because I loved her_. I hated anyone who ever dared hurt her, _because I loved her_. I was starting to sense a pattern. There was my answer – It had been there all along, I just hadn't had the balls to discover it. _I loved Bella_.

"About time you figured it out, fucker," Alice huffed impatiently, crossing her arms and smirking. Had I said that out loud? I really didn't know _what_ I was doing anymore. Since I had already said it out loud, I guess there was no harm in testing out how it sounded. I mean, I had to make sure it was right and everything. You couldn't just go deciding you loved someone unless you were positive it was true.

"I love Bella," I repeated, talking to both myself and Alice. A smile began creeping across her face as she nodded encouragingly. "Edward loves Bella." I said simply, deciding that I _did_ like the sound of that. Quite a fucking lot actually. And just for kicks, "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen loves Isabella Marie Swan." As I said it, both Alice and I had the smiles of people who had just figured out they won the fucking lottery. It sure felt like I had.

I almost felt like jumping up and squeezing the shit out of Alice. _Almost_. I refrained in my seat though, wearing a shit-eating grin that I knew would be there for a while. And of course, Alice being Alice, she couldn't help herself but to let out one of her loud squeals that she did when she was happy. I remained silent, but my thoughts were screaming all of these new emotions – no, all of this _love_ to me. I fucking loved the shit out of that girl, even in impossible circumstances; How could I _not_ be happy?

The only question was, did she love _me_? I knew Alice or Rose wouldn't know, despite how close they were. That's just not something Bells would go around telling people, even if they _were_ her best girlfriends. _Girlfriends_. That word brought my mind to attention. Would Bella even _want_ to be my girlfriend? The name just sounded so. . .so much less than what she really was. I knew it was pretty fucking hokey, but she was, well, _my life_.

And _my life_ wouldn't _have_ life for much longer unless I fixed the Charlie situation. I'd make it my top priority, now until it finally happened. It had been my top priority for a while, but now it _really _was. Like, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly until I was a hundred percent positive that I knew she was safe. The idea sounded so nice, so _easy_. I furrowed my brow. All I needed was to actually think of a solution to make it happen. One thing was for sure – I don't think I could do this on my own anymore. I'd need to tell someone; The only question was, who would I trust enough to tell?

After my emotional-love-high was over, panic began taking its place. And it wasn't panic because of Charlie. It was panic because of _me_. Because I didn't have a fucking clue how to proceed anymore. I mean, I'd never been in love before. How was I suppose to know what to do? The panic soon turned into fear as I soon became scared shitless.

I barely even remembered Alice was still in the room until I realized that it was her help that I'd need. From a girl's perspective, I knew she'd be the most helpful. It wasn't that I didn't trust Rose, it was just that she sometimes scared me. "Alice?" I whispered to her, meeting her eyes with my worried ones. "What do I do?" My voice rasped out. She nodded all knowingly and motioned for me to sit down. I complied in a daze, still trying to wrap my head around all of this.

As soon as I realized that things would probably be okay, that love-high came back, and I started smiling like a fucking idiot again. She snapped her fingers impatiently in front of my face. I had zoned out on her again. She smirked at my apologetic frown, rolling her eyes. Then, she shrugged at me. "Do whatever you think feels right." As if I was suppose to know what that meant.

"And what the fuck does that mean?" I asked her, running a hand through my tuffled hair. If she was going to start being all jedi master on me, I was going to have to snap her neck. I did _not_ want to be tested, and I was _not_ in the mood to figure out anything more today. I wanted to have the chance to bask in these newly discovered feelings.

She shrugged again, looking away simply and going back to her card game. "It means that I can't help you on this." She told me, "It means that this is _all_ on you, Ed. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that you have finally figured out the obvious. But it's all on you to figure out your next approach." She grinned and winked at me. What. The. Hell?

I stood up, not wanting to put up with her confusing puzzles anymore and went back to my room. My place of sanctuary. As I walked out of the room, I called over my shoulder, "Have fun playing your lonely game, by _yourself_." Just because I had to. I felt her snap her pony tail at my ear, not being able to dodge it. "Fuck you," I called over my shoulder, grinning wildly.

"Love you too," She called back, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. I snorted loudly and headed for the stairs, up to where I knew I could get some peace and quiet. Once I made my way through the door, I shut it quietly behind me, and walked over to sit on my head. I laid back, hands behind my head, and closed my eyes happily. Just fucking enjoying my newly found discoveries.

How would I tell her though? How did _she_ feel about _me_? She had never really made any of that shit clear, so I knew when I eventually did tell her, that I'd be going out on a limb. This was no time to suddenly have no balls and be afraid to tell her. Come on, what was the big deal anyways? It was _Bella_. The girl that I had been with for the past month and a half and was still able to stand me. I'd tell her, I just didn't know when. . .Or how.

If what Bella had said about Charlie leaving for two days was true, then I knew where I'd have my window. It'd be the perfect opportunity. I had already promised her that I'd take her there again when it was the perfect time. At the time I had told her, I may have been referring to when it was the perfect time for stars. Now, I had a completely different reason to take her there. Something much more important. The only question was, would she want to go?

I was so ancy; I couldn't stop bouncing my legs up and down, messing with my hair, playing with my fingers. I wanted to see her, I wanted to be with her, but I knew I couldn't. Not now, at least. We had gotten into a fight, and I knew that we needed a few hours away from each other. Then, I just had to keep telling myself that everything would just go back to normal. Because fuck it, if it didn't, I didn't know what the hell I was suppose to do.

I shook my head in disbelief. I fucking loved someone. Who would have thought. Definitely not me, that was for sure. When I moved to this stupid small town, love was the last thing I was expecting to find. But it wasn't just that – It was somuch more. I found a person, I found _Bella_, who was seemingly _made_ for me. She didn't give a shit that I had flaws, in fact, she didn't give a shit about my fucked up past. She made me a better person, whether she knew it or not.

Bella was the sweetest, _kindest_ person I had ever known. She was a mixture of all things perfect. Selfless, caring, forgiving, and courageous. Her braveness for life, for what she went through, it fucking _inspired_ me. She had touched my soul in a way that I knew was impossible. It was just the impossibility of the situation that made me laugh out loud. We were both fucked up, and I knew it, but now. . .Now at least we had each other.

All of these things were so effortless to think to myself, but I knew that saying them out loud would be a whole different story. As easy as it seemed, I knew that it would be hard, and that Alice was right. It was all me; I was all on my own on this. I somehow trusted myself to say the right thing at the right time though, and didn't worry too much on what would happen if things went wrong.

I had to stop thinking about all of this for now, before I started to grow prematurely gray, which I would _not_ be okay with. I was not in the mood to put shit in my hair, when I was perfectly fine with it how it was. I was in desperate need to get my mind off of all my hectics thoughts, so once again, I pulled myself off of the bed, and went to fetch my brothers. . .

**BPOV**

When I left Edward that afternoon, I couldn't think straight. Nothing was making sense anymore, and it almost seemed like everything I thought was right, was turning out to be wrong. Edward had the right to get mad at me; I was naturally a difficult person, but it's not like I could help it. I regrettably got that side of me from Charlie. So I needed to get out of there before I had the chance to say anything hurtful.

And that's what I did. I ran. Whether it was from my own problems, or the actual truth of Edward's words, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure which part scared me more. The fact that actual reality was setting in, or the fact that Edward _did_ care that much? I knew I was _somewhat_ oblivious, but I had no idea I was that bad. I hadn't a clue that I really did mean that much to him.

I always thought that _I_ was one who was crazy over the boy. I never, in my wildest dreams imagined that it was the other way around. And it wasn't. I had asked him why he cared, and I knew that that had gotten him. He responded with the reply that was expected. _I don't know_. Because how could he? I had put him in a position that was completely unfair. I was an awful person, because I wasn't giving him the choice.

I knew I was hurting him, and that fact alone killed me _without_ the help of Charlie. I was surprised how perfectly it worked out that Charlie actually wasn't going to be here for the next two days. Edward probably thought that I was lying, but I'd prove him wrong tomorrow. That is. . .if he still wanted to see me. I wouldn't have it I was him. I didn't know why he even bothered with me; I was hopeless.

At the same time I wanted him to move on, I knew I couldn't live without him. His strength, his care, his protection. All of those things were becoming necessities to me – Ones that I knew I wouldn't be able to live without. I knew that Edward could be a jerk, a complete jackass a lot too, but that was the only side that anyone ever got the chance to see. Not me though; I had always somehow seen into Edward's soul, what what a sweetheart he could actually be, even if he _did_ deny it.

That's why ever since Edward had made his little _I can't_ speech, I had been battling with the idea that I was in love with him. It seemed possible, yet impossible at the same time. I didn't know I was capable of such emotions, and I knew that he'd never feel them towards me. How could he? I was horrible.

The idea sounded so crazy. . .Yet, so inviting. _Love_. It was a nice word. One that couldn't be used in my life a lot. The idea was just so comforting, I couldn't help but to cling on to the possibility. I'd never be able to tell him though. I mean, what if that suddenly ruined everything? What if he eventually _did_ figure out that he was way too good for me.

I would keep it to myself for now. Whether I loved him or not, I wouldn't be telling anyone for a while. Not to risk what we already have. Not to risk the routine, which I now knew that Edward was completely against.

That night, just to prove I wasn't mad at him, instead of the usual text I'd send him every night, I spent a half hour trying to type out a paragraph on that damn keyboard. I didn't know how girls could even stand those stupid things so much. After I was finally satisfied with what I wrote, it read – **I'm sorry for the things I said before, and for leaving. I'm just scared. Not of you, not of Charlie, but of myself. I just needed some time to think. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Please don't be mad, okay? Goodnight, –Bells**

And then, I pressed sent, hoping that it would explain everything in a simpler way. I set the sleek black phone on my pillow and sat down on my bed, pulling out a book from my bookshelf. I began reading it, when only minutes later I heard the phone buzz. I just stared at it for a moment, confused. That's weird, normally Edward never responded. He never needed to.

Curiously, I picked up the phone on opened it, and sure enough, _New Text Message From: Edward_ was flashing across the screen. I quickly opened it, and read the small print – **Bella, stop worrying. I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself. I'm a real fucking idiot, I know. I think I've got it all figured out now though, okay? I'll tell you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, –Ed**

I grinned at his casual use of the F word. It always made me smile. I frowned at his message. What did he exactly mean by _I think I've got it all figured out_? Well, I guess that I'd find out tomorrow.

Since Charlie wasn't home, and I had really been lacking sleep lately, I decided to call it an early night, and headed for the bathroom. I showered; relieving the tension in my body, brushed my hair and teeth, and crawled into bed ten minutes later. It felt nice. Warm. Yet, still empty.

It was definitely different then how my nap from Edward had been. He had graciously provided me the sleep I needed, and yet, I was still tired. When he had been holding me in his arms that morning, I'd wanted to stay awake just a little longer, savor the feeling, but my mind had different ideas. Before I could even register what happened, I had drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

Before I shut my eyes, I frowned in the darkness. I wanted Edward. But I couldn't _have_ him. The thought made me depressed, but I knew it was still truthful. _The truth hurts_, I thought bitterly to myself. Deciding that it was better to keep my thoughts clear in order for a good night's sleep, I stopped thinking all together and let my mind wonder to the wonders of the night.

I awoke that morning to something unusual. The sound of pounding on the door. _My _door. My mind instantly went to panic mode. I glanced at the clock – It was only six. It couldn't have been Charlie, could it have? He wasn't suppose to be home until tomorrow night. I clenched the covers tighter to my body before I gulped and let out a shaky, "Come in?"

The door opened, and in stepped three of my favorite people. Alice was first, hands on her hips and grimacing at how not up-to-date my room was. Rosalie followed, looking sleepy and irritated, yet amused at the same time. Then, Edward walked in; All bronze-haired and god-like as usual, wearing a permanent smirk on his face.

"Get out of bed!" Alice barked loudly, surprisingly frightening. I ignored her, just staring at the three of them in utter confusion. Edward chuckled and walked over, approaching me on the bed. He leaned down and planted a light kiss on my lips before pulling away and whispering a happy, "Good morning." I blushed. Rose and Al had both just seen that. I studied their faces though, and neither looked surprised. If anything, they looked smug.

I took that as a momentary distraction. "How the hell did you guys get in?" I asked, baffled. Edward let out a low laugh, and smirked at my choice of language. He ruffled my hair playfully before turning and grinning at Alice.

"Oh, Miss Sleepover Nazi here wanted to make sure you had everything," He told me, taking a seat next to me in my head and lazily throwing and arm around my shoulder. "You're spending the night at our house," My favorite crooked smile came into play, as he knew I couldn't refuse it. I grimace momentarily before smiling nervously.

"Oh, come on, Bella!" Alice chirped, "It'll be fun!" I glared at her. _Fun _sometimes meant different things when it came to Alice and I. I crossed my arms and shot her a sideways glance.

"You still have yet to answer my question," I reminded them, "How did you get in?" I asked simply. Edward seemed like he was trying not to laugh at some inside joke. Rosalie had seemed to fallen asleep on my rocking chair. Alice was still smiling widely when I got to her face, shooting her a pointed look.

"Oh, your front door was unlocked," She surprised me by her simple answer. Had I really been _that _careless? Well, I'm sure the chief of police would be quite proud that his own daughter for got the basic fundamentals of staying safe at night.

I grimaced. "Oh." Was all I could say. They both stared at me for a minute before bursting out laughing. I blushed and looked down at my hands. This was turning out to be a really embarrassing morning.

They gave me fifteen minutes to gather my stuff and get ready, and by the time I was downstairs, I was almost fully awake. We were about to walk out the door when Alice gasped. "We forgot about Rose!" She giggled loudly, running up the stairs to quickly retrieve her. A very pissed looking Rosalie trailed behind Alice, muttering something about mornings and how it should be illegal to disturb someones sleep.

I rode next to Edward in the passenger seat on the way to his house, well Alice and Rose rode in the backseat, plotting and planning on what activities said sleepover would consist of. It was Friday night after all, which was a little scary, considering the possibilities could be endless. I groaned quietly, but only Edward heard. He gently squeezed the hand he was holding reassuringly, shooting me a crooked sideways smile. I genuinely tried to return it.

At school, everything felt normal, but completely different at the same time. It was just something about Edward, and his mood in general that had me curious. This behavior he was displaying, _wasn't_ normal Edward behavior. He glared at anyone who looked at me wrong, he kissed me before and after every class, he held my hand tightly whenever we were together, and he even started whistling a couple of times. I mean, he already did most of that stuff, it's just the actual way he was doing it.

I wasn't sure what was up, but I knew it was something. I smiled and blushed in the appropriate places, humoring him when I would throw my arms recklessly around his neck in front of Vicky and her clan. He'd always love that, and admittedly, I would too. I knew that I was probably thinking about things too much, and that he was probably just in a good mood.

At the end of the day, as he picked me up from my last class, he wasn't smiling. In fact, he was glaring. My face immediately fell when I spotted the group of girls gathered around him, shamelessly flirting like the sluts they were. I bawled my fists up. I didn't like them messing with _My_ Edward. When his eyes made contact with mine, they instantly became relieved. I marched on over there, wrapping an arm tightly around his waist as he planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

All of the girls that had been on him weren't laughing and smiling anymore. They were glaring. At me. Vicky wasn't in the mix, but Jess and Lauren were both there, along with a few other possy members. I wanted to gag, and hit them both at the same time. "It's a shame," She sighed, snapping a bubble obnoxiously loud. She signaled the rest of them to turn and walk away, and as she was about to, Edward cleared his throat and stopped her.

"Um, excuse me?" His voice was friendly on the surface, but I knew better than anyone that the dark threat was hidden, making it impossibly more deadly. She had this smile of innocence, indicating that she was like God's gift or something. I snorted. Edward's lips twitched, fighting back an irritated smile. "What was that you said before, Jackie, is it? What's a shame?" He asked, his voice slipping a little from his calm facade.

She looked insulted, yet turned on at the same time. Disgusting. "Actually," She said proudly, trying to keep what dignity she had left, I imagined, "It's Jessica. And I was just referring to your little problem over there," She nodded her head in my direction as the others murmured in approval. My face fell slightly, and I looked down at the ground.

Edward became slightly more stiff next to me, pulling me so that I was recklessly close. I leaned my head on the side of his shoulder, claiming my territory. It obviously wasn't working. And it wasn't like Edward _was_ mine either or anything. I just liked to think so. "You see," Edward's voice was curt now, "I don't look at Bella so much as a problem," I gasped, shocked, but he smiled and winked at me, continuing. "I look at her more as a gift." He told them. At the same time, all of their faces turned dumb-struck as if he had been speaking pig Latin. He went on to explain, "Bella's ten times the girl you bitches will ever be." He stated simply, matter-of-factly.

All of their jaws dropped to the floor. I was trying my best to stiffle my giggles. Edward leaned down and firmly pressed his lips to mine for a moment before pulling back and smirking at them. He was looking at me like he had just won the lottery. I didn't understand the logic, but I was okay with it. I smiled back at him, silently thanking him.

Without even glancing back at their shocked faces, we walked to his Volvo, hand in hand. I couldn't wipe off the huge smile threatening to break my face. His expression was simliar; The only difference was that he had been wearing a smile like that all day.

Once we were finally alone in his car, he started the ignition and turned to grin at me. I stared back at him, confused as to why he was so damn happy. Normally, he was always beating himself up about something. I smiled back hesitantly. "What are you so happy about?" I asked cautiously, suddenly nervous that I had something in my teeth the whole day.

"Nothing," He continued grinning, "You just look pretty." I rolled my eyes, then gave him a very skeptical look. Clearly he was joking now. "What?" He asked, shrugging, "Can't I ever compliment you? I mean, I have opinions too, you know. I just don't always share them like I could." I raised an eyebrow at him. He was making no since.

"How so?" I asked casually, though I was actually terribly curious. He chuckled, reaching for my hand and gently taking it.

"Well, for starters. . ." He squeezed my hand playfully, "I actually think that I should compliment you more." I grimaced at him – Surely he couldn't mean that. He continued on, "I mean, tell you how beautiful you look," Another squeeze, "Let you know how much you mean to me," Another squeeze, "Let you know how fucking wonderful you really are." This time, he brought my hand up to his lips and planted a soft kiss lightly on my palm.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. How was I suppose to tell him that the feelings he felt for me were only a weak comparison of what I felt for him. Exactly; I couldn't. When we were close to his house, he slowed down slightly. He usually did this when he needed to talk to me alone. I braced myself for whatever was coming.

"I just want to warn you," He said in a playfully dark tone, "The sisters from hell will be keeping you most of the night." I gulped, "_But_," He added quickly, assuringly, "I'm going to spring you." I sly smile spread across his face. "Remember that place I showed you once?" He asked me. I nodded – How could I have forgotten? It had been exquisitely beautiful. "Well, that's where we'll go when it's dark enough." I nodded again, willing to do anything to get away from a night of makeovers and dress-up.

We pulled into his garage and he got out before I did so that he could open my door. Before we entered the house, he stopped me and backed me up into the nearest wall. He placed both of his hands on either side of my head, his whole body pressing up against mine. I couldn't move. I didn't _want_ to. "In case I don't get to see you as much tonight," He whispered softly, leaning his face closer to mine.

Slowly, he moved his lips to mine. I wasn't having slowly though, so I quickly closed the space between our faces, mashing my lips firmly to his. As greedy as I was, I urgently darted my tongue out to meet his. We stayed like that, kissing for the next ten minutes unnoticed before I had to pull away gasping. Whatever emotion Edward had been feeling all day, he put all of it into that kiss. It was intense, in an _insanely_ good way.

He looked just as keyed up as I felt, and sighed when he had to open the door to get inside. I couldn't help but let out one last quiet giggle. We were so weird. When I told Edward that I would go and find Alice and Rose, he gave me an uneasy look. "You know, you can always find me if you need to escape," He reminded me for a third time. I shook my head, grimacing at the idea of Alice figuring out that I had ditched her wonderful plans.

"I'm a big girl, Edward," I smirked at him, "I think I can handle it." He smirked back, sticking his tongue out like a child. I gave him one last quick hug, assuring him that I would be okay, and slowly headed for Rosalie's room, where I knew they'd be waiting.

"Remember," He called to me before I reached the top of the stairs, "I'm going to steal you away later." I heard the playful taunting in his voice, and laughed over my shoulder, nodding.

I braced myself as I opened the door, being prepared for everything. What I found was completely expected. Both girls were sitting indian style on Rose's ridiculously large bed; A huge supply of makeup and beauty products spread out. I grimaced, thinking twice about calling for Edward early. I took a deep breath and walked over, surrendering my free will over to the Fork's fashion police.

By the time I was done, I was looking for like a pale Malibu Barbie than like Bella. I didn't mind though. I actually felt _pretty_. My hair was half pulled up, and the other half was flowing over my shoulders in overwhelming curls. They were shiny, and bounced all over the place whenever I moved my head. I had convinced them not to go heavy on the makeup – It was noticeable, yet perfectly subtle at the same time. A dash of mascara, a little bit of eyeliner. And when Alice told me I looked beautiful, I didn't doubt her.

"Edward's going to _love _you," She giggled, sounding like she was laughing at some inside joke. Rose laughed along with her, adding one last touch of blush, though I definitely did not need any of _that_. I was about to tell them how I was going to be spending the rest of the evening with Edward, but they seemed to already know. "Oh, don't worry, you can go ahead and go. We already knew he was going to take you away from us." Alice pouted, smiling at the same time.

I glanced out the window; The sun was just setting. Edward had said something about the dark, so I figured that it would be a good time to go and meet up with him. I told them that I'd be back later, and they each wished me good luck; On what, I wasn't sure. I just smiled and nodded, going along with whatever they were talking about.

All of a sudden feeling somewhat nervous, I slowly made my way down the stairs, unsure of where to look first. Unexpectedly, the first person who I spotted was Esme. She was dusting and cleaning, not looking troubled at all. She heard my approach and looked up to smile warmly at her. I returned the gesture. "Hi, Esme," I grinned.

She came over to hug me. "Hello, dear," She smiled, pulling me into a short hug. I wondered if she ever got tired of me – I was over every night, and I still got the same reaction. I loved Edward's family. "It's always wonderful seeing you here," She told me genuinely. I murmured a thank you, and let her get back to her cleaning.

Wondering where to look, I tried the living room first. As I got closer, I could hear booming voices yelling at the TV. I knew that I had chosen the right spot. More slow than before, I walked into the room. It was all of the Cullen boys, gathered on their ridiculously huge couch, watching a game of baseball. Their backs were all facing me, but I could tell which was which just by their hair.

I was about to clear my throat, but I didn't need to. Jasper turned around and spotted me, his face looking warm and knowing. I would never understand how they all were so involved with each other's lives. I smiled back at him shyly. He looked way and nudged Edward, who was sitting next to him, in the side. Edward snapped his head up, turning to look in my direction.

He froze when he saw me – His eyes became wide, almost glass-like. His lips parted slightly, and his glorious green eyes bore into mine. It took a second, but his lips slowly turned up into my favorite uneven smile. I blushed furiously, looking down at my feet. I heard him approach, but I didn't look up. I was too embarrassed.

"Hey you," He whispered, tilting my chin up with his finger. He held his stare until I finally met it, and lost the ability to breathe. His beauty stunned me; I don't think I'd _ever_ get used to it. My stomach did a little uneasy flip of its own as I smiled nervously at him. Why was I acting so self-conscious suddenly? This was _Edward_.

"Hi." I whispered back, feeling my face get impossibly hotter.

Without saying another word, he gingerly took my hand and let me out back. I already knew where we were going, but I still needed Edward to lead me because it was getting dark. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. Neither of us saying anything, except for Edward's occasional "fucking beautiful" and "insanely pretty".

We were getting closer; I could tell by the way Edward's pace slowed. He suddenly stopped for a moment and turned to me. I anxiously met his emerald eyes, awaiting instruction. "Close your eyes." He murmured softly.

* * *

**Awwwwww. *sigh/swoon* He loves her. Finally, right? You have no idea how long I've waited for that to finally happen.  
Okay, so obviously the main reason behind this chapter was to make Edward's feelings known. Along with Bella's too. Yeah, I know that not much in the way of events happen, but I promise next chapter will be eventful(: Though, I'm sure most of you already have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen.  
Plus, I just _had_ to do the next chapter in Eddie's POV. You'll see why.  
Oh, and I've given you guys a break from Charlie the next couple of chapters. Why? Because I'm a saint.**

**Don't yell at me for the cliffhanger – Yell at Edward, okay? He made me.  
So yeah, feedback and reviews are always wonderfully dazzling. So...DAZZLE ME?  
Wow, sorry, there's really not much to say this week. Huh. That's strange. Eh, oh well. And for those of you who didn't know, just a reminder that my YOUTUBE account is __****DazzlingPerfection****. Thanks to you guys who have all added me as a friend! :D**

_**Reviews are better than compliments from Edward. . .Okay, that's such a fucking lie, but whatever, they're still great(:**_


	18. Only One: Yellowcard

**Chapter 18 already? Wow.  
Well, here it is. A lot happens in it, so pay attention.  
And I gotta admit...This was probably my favorite chapter so far, writing wise, at least.  
Yeah, so hope you guys enjoy it.**

**The song for this chapter is_ Only One – Yellowcard  
_Why? Well, because I basically thought it fit perfectly. Read the chapter. You'll see.  
Oh, and if you've never listened to this song, I strongly recommend it. It's beautiful.**

* * *

**EPOV**

"Close your eyes," I instructed quietly, almost humming it. My arm remained locked around her waist, keeping there from being any unnecessary distance. We were almost there, and I was fucking confused as to how a good way to do this would be. I'd be simple about it, yet make sure that she knew how much I really did fucking love her.

She obeyed, letting her pretty long lashes flutter shut. I went slowly, making sure not to run her into anything. I was beginning to regret not wearing a jacket, because Bella was starting to shiver slightly. And, it was really fucking cold out. I brought her even closer to my body, hoping to keep her warm.

We were almost to the clearing, and I was starting to get nervous. And that was really saying something, because I _never_ got nervous. Fuck it, I wasn't about to back down now though. I needed to tell her that I needed her like I needed the air to breathe. How did I do that though?

Before I knew it, we were there. The trees opened up, and the stars shown brightly, shining down on us. Bella's face in the dark, was lit up by the brilliant light of the moon. She was too fucking beautiful. Of course, I already knew that though. Warning her to keep her eyes shut, I gently kept hold of her hand and laid us both down on the grass.

We were lying real still on our backs, hand in hand. "Open them," I whispered to her, gently stroking soft circles on her hand with my thumb. I kept my eyes on her face as I watched her eyes slowly flutter open. She darted them around, meeting mine first. I gestured for her to gaze up at the stars; I knew she'd go crazy over that shit.

I was right.

Once her eyes slowly left mine, they focused on the night sky above us. They became impossibly wide, her brown eyes penetratingly deep. And because I couldn't help it, a slow smile spread across my face as well, seeing her so damn happy. Her chocolate eyes were full of wonder once they met mine again.

"It's beautiful," She whispered in awe; Her smile genuine. "Thank you for showing me this." I chuckled softly, nodding my head. She didn't need to thank me – She had my heart, she could do whatever the fuck she wanted.

I took a deep breath. This was it. Now was the time I had to tell her, and I knew it. "I need someone to talk to," I told her honestly, "I have a problem." Her eyes suddenly became curious, and she propped herself up, cupping her hand to her cheek and leaning on her shoulder. I remained facing towards the sky, my arms behind my head.

"You know I'm always here for you," She responded without a doubt. I shut my eyes momentarily and smiled despite myself. She was fucking perfect. I wondered how long I actually had been in love with her. Probably a while.

"I know." I smiled, opening my eyes again, only to meet her eager ones.

"Okay, let me here it. What's wrong?" She asked, sounding anxious yet concerned in the slightest. I bit my lip like she normally did, keeping from grinning. She continued to stare at me, waiting.

"I like her so much," My voice burned with the intensity of my love. She had to have known who I was referring to. I grinned at her confused expression. She pursed her lips and looked almost the slightest bit taken aback. She kept that curious smile on her face though it was like she was hiding a different emotion.

"Tell her." She said simply, staring off at the stars again.

"I don't know. . ." I paused, stifling another chuckle. This was too easy. "I don't think she'll ever like me." It was true. I didn't know _if_ or _how_ she could like me. I mean, she had heard about my fucked up past, she had seen me at my worst time; letting my fucking temper slip and all. I really was curious as to how she ever could. I don't think _I'd_ be able to stand me.

Her face was still oblivious, and I couldn't believe that she didn't know I was talking about her. Maybe she did. Maybe she just had an incredible poker face, which I didn't doubt. Everything about her was incredible. "Don't say that," She told me, blushing the slightest, "You're amazing." More fucking blushes.

I let out a laugh, because I couldn't help it. I sure didn't see myself as amazing. She had it backwards. _She_ was the amazing one out of the both of us. The perfect one. The fucking beautiful one. . .I had to focus if I was ever going to tell her. Alice would be slapping me silly right now if she saw how badly I was stalling.

I sighed. "I just want her to know how I feel." God, I was such a fucking idiot. I sure_ sounded_ like one. Fuck it though, if _this_ was the tactic I chose, then I was going to stick with it. It seemed like a good idea when I had thought of it. . .Now, staring into her piercing eyes, I was starting to think that just being straight-forward would have been a better idea. Too late now.

"Then tell her." She repeated again as if the fact were obvious. _Yeah, Fuckward,_ my mind was shouting, _Just tell her already_. Why was this so difficult? It seemed so easy in the all the fucking movies.

"How?" I questioned quietly. "What do I say?"

Her soft musical laugh filled the meadow, sounding like wind-chimes. Her eyes became soft, warm. I couldn't pull my gaze from them, afraid that I would loose my focus. "Tell her how much you like her," She whispered to me, as a small smile began spreading across my lips.

"I tell her daily." I smiled as my eyes stayed connected with hers.

"What do you mean?" She asked softly, tilting her head slightly to the side. Her lips were parted slightly, and they looked so full. They were practically screaming at me to kiss them. I knew that I couldn't yet, if I was ever going to tell her. If I'd take her pouty bottom lip in mine, I knew that I'd be a goner.

"I'm always with her. . ." I said, hoping that what I was doing was right. As I said this, realization slowly hit her eyes. "I love her." The chocolate became melty as I declared myself. Her smile slowly spread out as her eyes lit up. I was positive that _now_ she knew.

She could have stopped me there, but she wanted to play along. Her smile turned into a playful smirk. Fucking cutie. "I know what you mean," She sighed, "I have the same problem. . .but he'll never like me. . ." Her face was skeptical as she raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned crookedly at her, holding my excitement in, saving it for the end.

"Wait." I told her, cutting her off abruptly. "Who do you like?" That question was _so_ fourth grade, it wasn't even funny. I had to keep playing along though. This was just too fucking enjoyable. I almost wanted to laugh at the impossibility of the situation. Moving to Forks, the last thing on my mind had been falling in love with someone. Now, here I was.

"Oh, some boy." She grinned.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter." I sighed again, wanting to finally get to it. "She won't like me."

"She does." Bella's voice cracked and was barely audible. As our eyes stayed connected, something happened between them. Something having to do with the connection we seemed to have always shared. Whatever the hell that something was, made me finally have the courage to just spit it the fuck out and tell her. It was time.

"Bella," I brought my hand up to stroke across her cheek, keeping hold of the other, "Every second of every day, my mind is filled with you. I'm not sure what it is – Your beauty. . .your courage. . .your smile. All of those things, all of your perfections _and_ flaws just make me absolutely crazy about you." I told her, suddenly just pouring out my whole fucking heart. "Every time I see you, my heart skips a beat. You've made me a better person, Bella." I informed her seriously, watching as her eyes grew wide. "And moving to Forks, the last thing I was looking for was love. But, falling in love with you was beyond my control. . ." I paused, making sure that she wouldn't look away. "I fucking love you." And once the words were out, it felt like I could just fucking fly.

She just stared at me, her wide eyes full of an emotion I didn't recognize. "I don't. . ." She whispered. "I. . .I don't. . .Why?" I could see a sparkle of moisture beginning to form in her eyes, and prayed to God that she wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry; not now.

I continued to hold her stare with mine, hoping these next words would prove to her that I wasn't lying. "I love you, because every time you're hurt, _I'm_ hurt. I love you, because every time someone messes with you, I want to beat the poor motherfucker's sorry ass to the ground. I'm jealous of anyone who's ever hugged you, Bella, because for a moment, they were holding my whole world." Her eyes were dangerously close to tears. I had to keep going, but I paused for a moment.

We both waited a few seconds in silence. Suddenly, a single tear oozed out of the corner of her eye. It broke me. It wasn't suppose to be like this. My eyes grew wide as the sorrow filled her face. "You don't love me." She whispered sadly, shaking her head. "You can't."

_Uh, yeah I do_, I wanted to tell her. I loved her more than I'd ever think fucking possible. I cupped my hand over her mouth, not letting her say anything more. By now, more tears were spilling out of her eyes, and I couldn't stand to see them. "Listen to me, Bells," I held her face in both of my hands. "I care about you. I adore you. I would give you the world if I could, because _I love you_." She looked away, and I waited until her gaze met mine once again. "I'm not lying. I wouldn't fucking lie about something like this, okay?" And it was true. All of it was overwhelmingly true.

She furiously brushed away the tears that were stuck to her face. "I'm so tired of falling and picking myself up, Edward." She told me, her voice was broken, and it killed me. "I've fallen one too many times, and I can't keep learning from my mistakes." I was about to protest; She was blaming something that wasn't her fault on herself. She kept going though, her eyes boring deeply into mine. "I've done my part, so it's time for you to do yours." I couldn't have agreed with her more. "You can do one of two things. . ." She paused, making sure I was listening carefully. What she didn't know, was that she_ always_ had my attention, try or not. "You can make things right. Or leave them wrong." She sighed and looked away, staring once again up into the stars. "I love you, Edward." It was barely more than a whisper. "And I think I always have." She admitted, and I wasn't sure I even heard it at first.

We both stared at each other in silence as I took in her words. They were true, of course. But, how could I make things right when she wouldn't let me? I wanted to tell someone about Charlie, more than life its fucking self, but she wouldn't let me. I wanted to do all of that shit, but I couldn't, because _she wouldn't let me_. I'd tell her that later, because for now, it was suppose to be a happy time.

Because my lips were starting to grow fucking painful from all of this restraint, I gave in for a moment and pressed my lips gently to hers and pulled away. She surprised me by rolling on top of me, so that her chin was resting on my chest as she looked up at me through her lashes. I wrapped my arms so that they were loosely around her waist. I had to say what I was going to say now, before I lost my train of thought completely. I knew it wouldn't be long, what with this new position and everything. I mean, how much could my teenage hormones take before I snapped?

"You want to know why I love you?" I asked her questioningly, raising an eyebrow. She blinked twice, then nodded anxiously. "It's because you loved me when I didn't love myself," I told her honestly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "It's because for the first time in my life. . ." I took a deep breath, "I don't have to work so hard at being happy."

And then, there was nothing more to say. Everything that had needed to be said was said. And because her lips looked too damn good, and because the moment was beyond perfect, without warning, I crushed my lips to hers. She immediately responded, eagerly bringing both hands up and fisting them into my hair. She knew I loved that shit.

Urgently, I pressed her face closer to mine as she pulled at my hair some more. I darted my tongue out and swept it across her wet bottom lip, tracing it's full shape. God, it felt so good. Her lips eagerly pouted into mine as I fucking sucked the shit out of them. Both of our breathing was coming out more as wild gasps now.

Her tongue darted out to meet mine, and when they met, I felt the electricity we shared and gasped into her mouth. I tangled one of my hands into her long dark hair, while the other was resting on her back, pulling her closer. We both pulled away for a second, catching our breaths. I firmly pressed my lips to hers once again, not quite being able to get close enough.

And then, she made the single sexiest sound I had ever fucking heard. Into my mouth, she quietly moaned, "Edward." It filled the darkness around us, and caused me instant pain below the belt. Fucking hormones. It was now me, Bella, and my little buddy at full attention. I could have swore I heard her giggle against my mouth. _Fucking giggle_.

Intentionally, she shoved her hips into mine, making me groan loudly. "Fucking Christ." I muttered as my eyes rolled back into my head. Why was she doing this to me? We couldn't do this now. And fuck, I had no idea if that's what she actually really wanted. I knew if we didn't stop soon, I'd be gone. We couldn't stop now though – The victory was too sweet.

I moved my lips down her jawline, greedily planting kisses on every inch of skin I could get, finally finding her collarbone. Ever since she had exposed it in one of her low-cut shirts, I had been fantasizing about what it'd taste like. Now that I had it at my lips, I had to beat back the moan that was threatening its way to the surface. It was only a fucking collarbone, I reminded myself sternly. It's not like I was fucking her or anything. Bella laid off the grinding for a minute, _thank God_, and began massaging my scalp gingerly.

I stuck my tongue out, and slowly licked my way across her amazing collarbone. _Sexy as fuck_. Just as I suspected, her taste was beyond incredible. Just because once wasn't enough, I shamelessly did it again; enjoying every fucking second of it. She moaned again, the sound sending a shock wave through my already tense body. And that, is when I knew that we had to stop. Because for one, we were alone in the darkness, which was _bound_ for trouble. And two, my poor dick couldn't take much more of this teasing. I sighed regretfully and pulled away, resting my lips on Bella's hair as she laid her head on my chest.

I tried to ignore my painful erection below us – Promising myself a cold shower once we got home. I wasn't sure how long we stayed there, but eventually I decided that we should head back to the house. I mean, I knew it was starting to get late, and I knew that everyone would get the wrong idea if we stayed out here for too long. Not to mention, Esme would be fucking _pissed_.

I sighed and sat up as Bella kept her head rested against my chest, clutching on to me tightly. As much as I didn't want to ruin the moment, I had to. I stood us both up, keeping my arms clasped around Bella's tiny figure. Standing up was more painful than I originally had thought it would be. Her fucking moans, _they_ did this to me. Trying to remain as subtle about my condition as I could, I released one arm from around her and kept the other gently wrapped around her waist.

We slowly walked back, just enjoying the stars and the night in general. Occasionally, I'd stop her and pin her against the tree, kissing her again just because I could. She'd always love that shit; Every time I'd pull away, she'd have a huge grin on her face.

Taking longer than it was probably necessary, we eventually made it back to the house. Before I opened the door, I planted one last kiss right below her ear. "Love you," I whispered against her soft skin, resting my forehead on hers for a moment. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled back warmly. "I love you, too." She whispered back, all smiles and blushes.

Slipping off our shoes in the entry way, we set off to find Alice and Rose. A quick glance at the clock indicated that it was a quarter past eleven. That late? Wow, time flies. I knew that Carlisle and Esme would already be settling in for the night; They always turned in early because they liked movies and cuddling and shit. Oddly enough, that idea didn't seem too bad.

The sisters from hell were both sitting cross-legged in the middle of Alice's bed. Of course they'd still be in the exact spot we left them two hours ago. I cleared my throat, indicating that we were back. Both of their heads immediately snapped in our direction. Alice's face instantly turned knowing and smug as she raised an eyebrow at me. I pretended to ignore her. Rose looked excited, but bored at the same time. It was just so. . .Rosalie.

Alice mouthed something to Bella that I couldn't read, and I was too late to catch what Bella mouthed back. Fucking girl language. I'd never get that shit, as hard as I tried. But, then again, what sorry motherfucker did?

I squeezed Bella to me for a moment before releasing her. Kissing her lightly on the lips one last time, I shot her a wary glance and let the room. The last thing I heard was Alice's damn squeal. God, I wished I could somehow know what they were saying.

Not being able to hold off my "problem" any longer, I hurried to my bedroom. Unfortunately, I was met by Jasper who was sitting in the middle of the hallway. What the fuck? He looked up and smirked at me, eying the hand on my crotch. "Edward." He nodded, holding back a laugh.

"I can't fucking help it," I growled. "Don't act like it never happens to you, dickhead." His expression turned to fake surprise, gasping like a girl and putting his hand over his mouth. Prick.

"So. . ." He said smugly, raising an eyebrow. "How was it?" He asked suspiciously, grinning like a damn fool. Hell, he _was_ one. How many times had I tried to explain to my brother that I wasn't fucking Bella? That I could be alone with her for a few hours and _not_ get in her pants? I wasn't ready to go over that with him again.

"Fuck. You. Prick." I stated curtly, glaring at that damn expression he was still wearing. I never gave him shit about Alice – Why was he picking on me? "We didn't have sex, okay?" I spat, turning to walk away. I took a few steps and turned around, remembering something. "What the hell are you doing anyways, man?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"My bedroom smelt like shit, so I decided to chill out here." There were so many questions I could have asked him, but really, I didn't fucking want to know. Or care. I sighed, shaking my head in disgust.

"You know, Jazz," I began, "It wouldn't smell like a monkey's ass if you actually cleaned it every once in a while." I eyed him skeptically, furrowing my brows together. I didn't have any more time for this lovely tea party we were having, so I just shook my head once again and walked away. Heading straight towards my shower; Or as I liked to call it. . .Heaven. . .

**BPOV**

He loved me. Edward loved me. Edward Cullen, loved _me_ Isabella Swan. And here I was just a few weeks ago, not believing in miracles. Once he had started his whole "_I like her so much_" thing, I wasn't sure who he was talking about. For a moment, I actually believed that he was in love with some other girl. I mean, how could I have ever guessed that Edward loved me? Liked, sure. But loved?

But he had said it. He had said that he loved me. And after the words were out, I realized that my theory before was true, and that I _did_ in fact, love Edward. More than life itself, probably. And I basically told him that. I was hopeless. . .Hopelessly in love.

I had to admit, it felt nice to be in love. And to _be_ loved. The best feeling in the world actually, and not to mention if that love was coming from Edward freaking Cullen. Who would have thought. When we were in the meadow, when he told me he loved me, something inside me had snapped. At first, I obviously didn't believe him. I mean, how could he love me? Then, I felt uneasy about the whole thing, unsure of how I could ever indulge in a serious relationship.

_Then_, I felt like I was on top of the world. Without thinking, I had thrown myself at him shamelessly, needing an incredible amount of passion for some reason. And he gave it to me. Not only had he given it, I had given _him_ it. When I was lying on top of him, I felt it under me; My proof. At first, I felt smug. _I_ had made him feel that way. Then, I felt lust. Something I hadn't ever felt. I wanted Edward. I wanted _all_ of him.

Of course, he wasn't about to grant me that wish though. Those foreign emotions had been running in my head all night. At first, I had been embarrassed that I had moaned his name, _out loud_. I mean, it just sort of slipped out. And then, I felt unashamed, because wasn't it suppose to be like that when two people loved each other?

Oh well, I told myself. How much could I ask for in one night? I promised myself that I'd take it slow from now on, not wanting to push myself _or_ Edward. I knew enough about his past that he wanted to be good, to be good to _me_, and not treat me like one of his old girlfriends. That was understandable. So I definitely wouldn't push him, not any time soon at least.

I had no idea why I was all of a sudden wanting this. I never had before in my life. But when Edward had my face securely against his, and when he had licked my collarbone, and all of those other glorious moments, I knew that that's what I really did want. Whether I was ready for it or not. God, I felt like such a freak. I didn't think I'd ever be wanting that with _anyone_. I trusted Edward so much though, I wouldn't mind whatever he ended up doing to me.

But Edward was gone now. And I was stuck having my nails painted and chattering about boys like at any regular sleepover. The only reason I was able to bear it all, was the thought of Edward only a few doors down, knowing that he loved me. That kept a permanent smile on my face all night.

"So," Alice sang excitedly, clapping her hands together. "What happened? What did he say?" I blushed furiously, looking away quickly before giving anything away. It was always the questions with Alice. Sometimes, I wished she'd pick up after Rose; Quiet, not caring, yet nice. She was like the Barbie I never had.

"Um. . ." I muttered lamely, not being able to think of something to say.

"Oh, come on, Bella!" She whined, throwing a pillow at me. "That's no fair! You have to tell us _something_, right Rose?" Rosalie lifted her head to stare at us both and shrugged. I wanted to hug her.

Alice pouted for a minute, trying to get me to give in. It was hard, but I resisted. After a minute or two of silence, she grew impatient and huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. "Did he say anything?" She hedged, eying me skeptically. Oh, just that he loved me, I wanted to shrug off casually, but I couldn't. I was no Rosalie, after all.

"Well," I sighed, pausing for a moment, bracing myself for her reaction. ". . .He did say something. . ." I started, playing with my hands nervously.

"Oh, just spit it out already!" Rose suddenly exclaimed loudly. We both stared at her for a moment, kind of just gapping, before she shrugged again and went back to fixing her nails.

"Okay," I said, defeated. "He told me he loved me." And then, I shut my eyes quickly, knowing that Alice's hug wasn't far. Of course, I was right. She leaped at me, throwing her arms around me and screaming quietly. In my ear. I cringed, trying to subtly shove her off of me.

"No way!" She squealed, sounding like a kid who had just figured out that Santa was real. "Are you serious? What else happened?" And for the first time that night, Rosalie actually looked interested in the conversation Alice and I were having. I didn't like being in the spotlight, so I figured just telling them the minor details and getting over with it would be best.

"Okay, Alice?" I sighed, rolling my eyes. "First of all, it's not like we're getting married, okay Al?" She nodded solemnly, holding back her excited squeals for just a moment. "If I tell you everything, do you promise not to bug me about it for the rest of the night?" It sounded like a good deal to me. I raised my eyebrow at her, waiting for her response.

"Deal." She agreed quickly, bobbing her head up and down.

I took a deep breath; It was going to be a _long_ night, and somehow, I knew she wouldn't keep good on her promise. "After he told me he loved me, I said it back." Clarifying that right away, knowing that she'd be definitely satisfied. "And then, we talked a little about why we loved each other." Yeah, it was cheesy, now thinking about it, but every time I _did_ think about it, it made my heart melt. Alice cleared her throat, waiting for me to go on. Whoops. "Well, then we kinda. . .made-out for a little bit. . ." I blushed, staring away from her smug expression. Rose let out a low whistle. I grimaced.

"Wait." Alice stopped me, holding up her hand. "What do you mean _a little_?" She asked, tilting her head to the side with a smirk on her face. "You guys were gone for a _long_ time." She stated, seeming proud of herself for some reason.

I sighed. "Okay, fine. We kissed for a long time, are you happy?" I grumbled. "But, what did you expect? Really?" I was getting a little irritated with the questions, and I really kind of was tired. I knew I was a deadbeat at all parties. Not that I ever went to them.

Alice didn't speak for a moment as she pursed her lips together, trying to keep from smiling any huger. "That's cute." She said simply, seeming to just drop the subject. I could see it in her eyes though – There'd be more questions later. Who knows, maybe I'd end up falling asleep first. I sure hoped so. "That's _really_ cute." She repeated one last time, sighing happily before going back to working on my nails.

Finally, after an hour of pointless chatter, we decided to call it a night. Thanks to Alice's over-sized bed, all three of us fit on it, with quite a lot of extra room as well. I wondered why she needed such a large bed, and suddenly, didn't want to know anymore. Alice was in the middle with me on one side, and Rose on the other.

As tired as I was, surprisingly, I couldn't fall asleep. Not long after we had all climbed in that bed, I heard both girls' soft snoring, indicating that they had fallen peacefully asleep. I wished that I could, but I guessed that I just had too much running through my mind.

I heard the door crack, but I didn't look up. It was probably just the wind. I was wrong. Before I knew it, a wild disarray of bronze perfection was inches from my face. I was laying on my side as Edward rested his chin on the edge of the bed, grinning at me in the darkness. I stared at him, stunned. He was smiling my favorite uneven smile.

"What are you doing?" I whispered quietly, anxiously.

His eyes were playful, and even in the dark, I could still see that glimmer of green shining in them. "Well, I was about to go to bed, when I realized something." He pondered, chuckling softly in the darkness. I gave him a confused look. What could he have possibly realized at 12:30 in the morning?

His eyes grew soft, smoldering. "What kind of shitty boyfriend would I be without giving you a kiss goodnight?" My eyes widened. He had said it – _Boyfriend_. I wasn't sure if I could even call him that, but he had clarified it, and I couldn't have been any happier. Because the thought of Edward Cullen being my boyfriend, _still_ shocked me. I realized he was waiting for me to say something, to give him the okay.

Silently answering his question, I leaned in slowly as he did the same, softly pressing his lips against mine. I let my eyes flutter closed, enjoying the tenderness of how his lips formed around mine. And because I remembered we weren't alone, I sighed contently and pulling away, realizing that if I could, I would have kissed him like that all night.

"Goodnight," I whispered to him, running my hand through his messy hair. I paused for a moment, glancing at him through my tired eyes. "I love you." I said just because I could, sounding more sure than I ever had in my life, only because I _was_.

His smile was warm. "I love you, too, Bella. Believe me, I do." He whispered, stroking his fingers across my cheekbone, leaving a trail of electricity from his hot touch. Before he got up, he grinned and kissed the tip of my nose playfully.

I watched him as he silently made his way out of the room, pulling the door shut. Seconds later, it opened again, his face popping into view. I was surprised at how well I could see in the dark. Must have been all of those years of carrots. I stared at him, wondering what his next move would be.

I heard his musical laugh fill the room. "Oh," He added quickly, "You're fucking beautiful. Did you know that?" And with that, he was out of sight, shutting the door gently behind him before he left. Leaving me rolling my eyes at him. I wondered when I'd finally believe him.

After Edward had left that night, I had no problem getting to sleep. In fact, it was the best sleep I had had in a long time. So I wasn't bitter when I was suddenly awoken by Alice poking me to get up. How could I be? I had gotten all the sleep I needed. I groaned and stretched my arms behind my back, surprisingly not sore, and slowly forced my eyes open.

I looked around the lit room. What time was it? It was only five past eight. Using past information, I didn't assume that any of the Cullen's were morning people. Well, except Alice. I wasn't too surprised that _she_ was the one that woke me up. I looked around for Rose, she wasn't present at the moment.

"Rose's in the bathroom." Alice stated, bouncing up and down. "I get it next, then you can have it." I just nodded, rubbing my eyes tiredly. I wondered who else was awake at the moment. I guess I'd have to wait a little while to figure out. Alice practically danced around her room, whistling and tidying up here and there. I remained in the bed, slowly waking up.

After a few minutes, Rose appeared out of the bathroom in a new outfit, looking surprisingly refreshed and ready to start the day. Alice darted into the bathroom, as Rosalie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Morning." She smiled at me, sitting down next to me on the bed. I grinned back and nodded, afraid that I might have a bad case of morning breath.

Eventually, Alice submerged from the bathroom, leaving it open for me. I dragged myself up off the bed, grabbed my bag of toiletries, and headed towards it. After I was changed into my clothes, I splashed water on my face, hoping it'd make me more alert. Then, very thoroughly, I brushed my teeth. After combing out my hair, I was out of that bathroom quicker than both girls had been combined. Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I went and joined them both back on the bed.

They were casually sitting, letting their legs dangle over, getting into a conversation about French clothing stores. I nodded and smiled where appropriate, not really paying attention at all. I didn't get what the big deal was; I got _my_ clothes from Target. And I knew if I ever told Alice that, she'd slit my throat. She already hated my wardrobe.

Not long after that, there was a quiet knock on the door. "Come in!" Alice chirped excitedly. First, Emmett appeared into view, grinning widely and smiling at the three of us. A tired looking Jasper followed behind him, looking more like I felt. And of course, behind him was my personal savior. Edward walked in, not looking tired at all, wearing a pair of dark jeans and an old band tee-shirt, making an Abercrombie model look girly.

I couldn't keep the ridiculously large smile from spreading across my face when our eyes met. He wasted no time joining us all on the bed. Jasper had an arm loosely wrapped around Alice's shoulder. Emmett had Rose sitting in his lap. Edward sat closely behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder so that his messy hair was tickling my skin. I felt his hot breath in my ear. "Sleep well?" His voice was unintentionally irresistible. Not trusting the steadiness of my voice, I nodded eagerly.

"How'd you gals sleep?" Emmett raised an eyebrow, his voice filled the room, unnecessarily loud. Rosalie rolled her eyes at him and playfully punched him in the arm. Alice giggled, always having to laugh at _everything_.

I felt Edward's arm snake around the front of my waist, gently rubbing above my bellybutton with his thumb. I shivered, not from the cold. "Well, since you guys are here," Alice began, getting all of our attention. "We should talk about next month." They all nodded, already knowing what she meant. I sat there, clueless. Edward chuckled into my ear at my confused expression.

"Alice," He stated clearly, "Please explain to Bella what you're talking about?" Alice eagerly nodded, grinning widely at me. I waited for her to explain.

"Well, Bella," She began, "Every year, for Valentine's day, we drive to California and rent a hotel by the beach." I nodded, with her so far. "It's normally just been Jazz, Em, Rose and I," She told me, "But now that Edward has you, the both of you can come along as well." I stared at her, waiting for her to explain further. She laughed, "My mom and dad pay for a our rooms," She explained. "We just get to go there, and stay there for a couple of days." They all murmured happily in agreement.

I finally realized what she was getting to. "Wait," I held up my hand, tilting my head slightly to the side. "You mean, they let you share rooms _together_?" Of course that was the wrong question to ask. All of them threw their heads back and bursted out laughing. I blushed, and looked down at my hands in my lap. It seemed like a reasonable question to ask. I mean, most parents wouldn't let their son or daughter stay in a hotel room alone with the opposite sex.

"Silly, naïve Bella," Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course they let us. For one, we already _live _together. Two, they aren't oblivious to our sexual lives," I blushed, "And three, it gets all of us out of their hair for the weekend." He was close enough to nudge my shoulder. "You know what I mean?" I rolled my eyes and nodded. I guess it all made sense.

I hid my thrill at the idea – Valentine's Day, alone, with Edward, away from Charlie. _Charlie_. That brought me back to reality. He'd never let me go. I already knew _that_. I heard Edward's laugh from behind me. "Just me and you." He reminded me in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. The idea sounded so nice, I couldn't let myself get my hopes up. I put great effort into a smile, nodding in the most believable enthusiasm I could manage.

He saw through me though, like always, and gave me a knowing look. He was telling me with his eyes, _We'll take care of it later. We'll take care of Charlie_. I wanted to believe him, but how could he be so sure? I nodded again, a little less worried now. It wasn't for another month after all. I guess Edward_ was_ right. We could figure it out later; We had time.

The rest of the morning consisted of random card games with the six up of sprawled across Alice's bed. It was a rather comfortable morning, I had to admit. We had gotten through two games of uno, four games of BS, and three intense games of spoons. Who would have thought you could have had so much fun with some paper? Esme would occasionally pop her head in and check how we were doing.

Now, we were playing poker with candy. I was loosing so badly, Edward had generously let me team up with him, assuring me that he_ never_ lost. Either way, I didn't care – As long as I could stay sitting on his lap, I was okay with _anything_. And of course, we were winning.

Alice huffed irritatedly and threw her cards down. "I fold." She crossed her arms and pouted.

Jasper rubbed her arm assuringly. "It's okay, babe," He told her, "I'll share my candy with you." And of course, that had Alice squealing in delight as she giggled happily and nodded. Jasper was perfect for her in all ways, and I was amazed that they weren't already making marriage plans. Sure, it wasn't legal yet, but come on! They were basically soul mates. I knew that neither one would ever end up with someone else.

"Damn it," Edward muttered under his breath, yet loudly enough so that everyone else heard. Emmett and Rose both stared at him smugly, thinking their cards were better. Clearly, they were wrong. Jasper's face was also smug as he studied his cards some more. I held in my smirk; They should have listened – Edward _never_ lost.

"All in," They all said at the same time, all of them looking confident, yet completely oblivious. If only they knew. Edward also was holding in his smirk too, pressing his mouth into my hair, keeping from laughing. I bit my lip.

Edward reached out in front of me and shoved our large stack of candy into the middle as well. He laid down his cards in front of us, smiling devilishly. "Royal flush." He said smugly. "Now cry, bitches." I let out a laugh, not being able to help it. They all moaned and cursed under their breaths, throwing down their useless hands.

"Fuck you," Rosalie spat at him, glaring at the pile of candy in the middle. Of course, I had learned right away that when it came to Poker, you didn't mess around; Especially not when the stakes were as high as candy. Those Cullen kids _loved_ their candy. Edward wrapped both arms around me and squeezed me tightly – a victory hug.

After a late lunch, in private, I explained to Edward why I had to leave. "Look, Charlie's coming home in a couple of hours," I reminded him urgently. "I need to go home and get ready for him." He made a disgusted face and glared out the window. "Edward, I'll be fine," I assured him, "I promise." Whether I was lying or not, I had to try.

"Bella. . ." He sigh, rubbing his temples. "Can't you just, stay?" There wasn't much hope in his voice; He knew the answer already. As much as I wanted to say yes, I shook my head sadly, looking away from his pained expression. His worry for me was heartbreaking – I hated seeing him torn up because of me.

"Edward," I explained, "If he comes home to a cooked dinner and a clean house, he's much less likely to make it that painful, alright?" This was true. If I stayed any longer, I wouldn't have time to do those things, and naturally he would come home furious. I cringed at just the very thought.

"Okay, fine," He hung his head in defeat, his green eyes piercing. "But I have to make you a promise first." He told me seriously, cupping my cheek in one of his hands. "I'm not going to let him hurt you tonight. Okay? I'll do absolutely everything I can to keep him away from you." His voice was so strong, so sure, _I_ believed him. Without any words leaving my mouth, I nodded automatically, somehow not doubting him. He always did manage to find a way to come through.

"I know, and I trust you," I responded honestly, "Just, please, don't blame any of this on yourself." I begged, knowing how badly he was always beating himself up over things.

His eyes narrowed slightly at me, "Fine," He replied curtly, "Then don't blame any of this on _yourself_ either." I didn't necessarily agree with him, but I nodded anyways. His eyes became warm, the green in them was somehow incredibly intensified. "Please, Bella. . ." He pleaded in a whisper, "Just, be careful." I nodded once again, positive that that was a promise I _could_ keep.

After I got all of my stuff together and packed, I said my goodbyes and headed out to the Volvo with Edward. He still looked tense and uneasy, and I needed to find out a way for him not to worry. I never did – The short car ride was a silent one, neither of us speaking. Edward pulled into my driveway and shut off the ignition. I didn't move.

After a few moments of silence, I finally sighed, indicating that it was time for me to get out. He turned his head so that his eyes could meet mine. Of course, they were sad. "I'm coming over tomorrow morning right away." He promised fiercely. "Whether _he_ likes it or not." I nodded, not finding the words to stop him. Not wanting to.

I turned away to open the door, but he stopped me. "Bella," He pulled me to him silently, cradling me against his chest in his embrace. I rested my head on it, knowing that it would be the last good feeling that I'd feel for a while. He pulled back, and I gently brought my face back a couple of inches to study his expression. It was determined. Before I had the chance to say anything, he crushed his lips to mine, cupping my cheek in his hand.

There was a certain edge to this kiss, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I kissed back though, ignoring the awkward position the car provided us and threw my arms around his neck hopelessly. And too soon, we both pulled away breathlessly. As much as I wanted to return my lips to his, I knew I couldn't. I knew it was time for me to leave.

"I fucking love you," He whispered breathlessly, staring intently into my eyes. "Be careful." He repeated once again, as I nodded at both accounts. And because my dumb mouth wasn't able to form any words, that was all I _could_ do.

I grabbed my bag from the backseat, giving him one last wave before I ran up the front steps and unlocked the front door. The Volvo remained parked until I was safely inside the house. Taking one last deep breath of serenity, I began preparing for the long night ahead of me. . .

* * *

***sighs* Wasn't that just refreshing? Man, there was so much fluff, I felt like I was inhaling my pillow. Yeah, I know, there were a lot of "I love you's" and kissing, but come on! It's to be expected, right? Meh. You guys didn't mind it. I know you.  
And you like I promised, I **_**did**_** provide plenty of fluff.  
Yeah, I even gave you a **_**microscopic**_** slice of lemon. It was itty bitty, but hey, a lemon's a lemon, right?**

**So basically, the thing is, I'd appreciate your reviews more than ever.  
How 'bout we try for 600?  
Can you do it? Absolutely.  
Just remember this – Shall we make this goal, I will gladly provide you guys with a small slice of lemon in the next chapter. How about _that_? We can do it. You guys can totally handle that. :D**

**I love you all.  
Just remember that, okay?  
You guys dazzle me.**

_**Reviews are better than Candy Poker(:**_


	19. Be My Escape: Relient K

**Wow, sorry it took me so long to post this!  
*drum roll* Chapter 19! Finally, right?**

**Okay, so the song for this chapter is_ Be My Escape – Relient K  
_I seriously can't get enough of that band, can I?  
Well, if you read the chapter, you'll see why this fits Edward so well. And Bella, from previous chapters too, I guess.  
So yeah, if you haven't heard it yet, I strongly advise you to listen. It's pretty gosh darn amazing, alright?(:**

**Kay, major thanks to all of you guys.  
Your reivews, your kind words, and all of that other jazz – It friggin' makes my day. You don't even know. You guys keep me going, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Cheesy, I know, but whatever; It's still true.**

* * *

**EPOV**

Now all I had to figure out was a brilliant plan to keep _him_ away from _her_. How the fuck was I suppose to do that? I had run out of ideas in the last month. I always could do another fire. . .That was always the easiest option. All I had to do was find another abandoned building somewhere.

I drove home, knowing that Charlie wouldn't be back at Bella's for a while. I would have time to plan things out. When I pulled into the garage, I got out and headed back into the house. Not up for anymore card games, I headed for my bedroom, knowing that no one would mind my absence.

I spent two hours on my laptop, just looking up videos and updating my playlist and shit. It was starting to near dinner time, but I remained at easy, reminding myself that Bella was safe until at least after dinner time. That was when I'd start to worry, though I didn't need to. I had done my research, found an old piece of shit a mile outside of town. The perfect house just screaming to be set on fire.

Another hour passed quicker than expected, and soon, I was getting my stuff together and ready. My cigarette lighter, and a small container of gasoline. Just enough to do the job. I had to admit, the first time doing this, I felt pretty fucking uneasy. Of course, I had reminded myself over and over that I was doing it for Bella, which, in the end convinced me that it was okay. Now, I didn't even think twice about what I was doing.

I slid on my leather jacket, putting the lighter in a pocket and hiding the bottle underneath my arm. I headed down the stairs, yelling to Esme that I was just going to run some errands, and that I'd be back in less than an hour. I felt kind of shitty from lying to Esme, but really, what else could I have told her? _Be right back, mom. I gotta go and set something on fire._

The drive was only a little under twenty minutes; Far enough, yet not _too_ far. As I drove, I smiled smugly to myself, feeling pretty fucking pleased. Due to my disobeying of the traffic laws, I arrived there in ten. Finally, the old farm came into view, looking the exact same as if no one had touched it in ages. I parked a good block away, not wanting to harm the Volvo at all.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, grabbing the gasoline and making sure I still had the lighter. I glanced to the horizon; The sun had just set behind the trees no more than a half hour ago. I shivered a little as I walked, not able to be bitter because at least there wasn't any snow. What I _was_ bitter about was the whole reason behind doing this. Bella's dad, _Charlie_.

I fucking hated that man – Hated him with so much of an undying resentment, it almost scared me. He was the one who made Bella like this. He was the one who caused her to continuously suffer. It inflamed me. He had absolutely no right to treat Bells like that. My sweet Bella. . .

My walk turned into more of an angry march, as I was determined to get the job done thoroughly. Maybe with luck, _he'd_ burn in the fire. I let out a loud, humorless laugh full of resentment.

I reached the house, stopping to stare at it. I studied it, wondering who could have possibly lived in it. No one for a while, that was for sure. It had been abandoned long ago. Maybe, it had belonged to someone at school's grandparents. Who would have chose to live this far away from everything though?

I slowly walked once, completely around the perimeter, deciding where the best beginning point would be. I couldn't really see that great, the darkness was beginning to take over the sky. I reached my hand out and felt the worn down wood, damaged and old. I knew it'd have no problem lighting, for the woods was dry as well.

Not being able to hold off any longer, I unscrewed the cap to the gasoline bottle, slowly pouring some of it onto the front porch. I knew it'd be my best starting point. After I had that taken care of, I splashed some sections of the house with a little amount, knowing it'd do the job. Once my bottle was empty, I stood at the stairs of the front porch.

My breathing was coming out raspy, and my lungs felt like they were tightening. I knew the reasoning behind my reactions; Part of it was because of the smell of gasoline. Another part was from the adrenaline that would be coming. The last and biggest part, was the thought of Bella. A broken image of her fled through my mind, burning me worse than a fire could ever.

Before I got too distracted, I quickly leaned down, reaching my hand forward carefully to a small section of wood with a slight coating of gasoline. Very fucking carefully, I clicked the lighter on, slowly bringing the flame down to the wood. In the same second the fire made contact with it, I sprinted away from the old house like a bat out of hell.

Once I knew I was far enough away, and I could no longer feel the powerful heat radiating against my back, I turned around to watch what I had done. The flames grew higher and higher, greedily reaching for the nearest untouched part they could get to. The gasoline had caused them to spread much faster, and much more efficiently. My face was illuminated by the light it gave off, like a giant campfire.

The tugging that had been inside me before, that I had ignored before, came back as I watched the flames. Once again, Bella's face entered my mind; Pained, and broken. I couldn't breath anymore. What if, one time, I was too late? What if in the end, my actions were no help at all? What if, he made her broken beyond repair? The impact of my thoughts were too much for me.

My legs suddenly gave out, pulling me down as I fell to my knees. I pulled at my hair, punched at the ground, and without warning, tears filled my eyes in an insane hurry. I buried my face in my hands, and cried. Fucking cried. Like a fucking baby. I was disgusted with myself, yet I couldn't stop. The sobs were forming in my chest, and soon, were violently being let out.

While on my knees, my head found the ground and rested there as I miserably let out all of the emotions that I had been bottling up in me for far too long. I could hear the crackling fire grow bigger, spreading so that almost the entire house was engulfed in flames. I knew that I was probably too close, and that I probably should have moved, but my body couldn't find the will too.

I wasn't strong enough anymore. I wasn't strong enough to take any of this. How could Bella do this to me? How could she make me agree on a promise I could never keep? How did I even agree to it in the first place? I was just glad that I was alone, and that no one would ever see me like this. I _never_ cried.

I'm not sure how long I knelt there like that, consumed in my misery, but eventually, I heard sirens in the distance. That brought me back to reality as my head snapped up and I instantly scanned my eyes around. They were still a ways away, but I knew that I'd need to bolt. Surprised I could even get up in the first place, I ran to my car in a hurry, immediately starting the ignition and pulling away from the vacant lot.

Avoiding the cops–Bella's dad–and firetrucks coming, I took the long way, pushing a hundred miles an hour to make sure that I had enough believable distance that I had nothing to do with the fire. Keeping one hand on the wheel, I furiously wiped away any traces of tears that were still on my face. I knew that my eyes would be red and fucking puffy, so I decided that I couldn't go straight home.

Instead, I circled around the town once, setting a record and beating my old one by a lot. Out of all the cars Carlisle could have picked for me, he couldn't have picked a more perfect one. I fucking _loved_ speed; More than a lot of things, actually. So after another twenty minutes of driving around aimlessly, I headed back for my house.

I pulled into the garage, almost decent, and sat there for a few moments. I flipped on the light inside the car and inspected myself in the mirror, feeling very much like a fucking girl while doing so. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, my eyes were still pretty red, but that could easily be excused as some sort of allergic reaction to some shit.

Glancing at my eyes one last time, I noticed something different about them. Something unusual. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that they were Bella's eyes with green contacts in them. My eyes, now showed the same emotions hers normally did. Her pain, _my_ pain. It was then that I realized how truly connected we were.

I got out of my car, avoiding everyone as I made my way up the stairs. Honestly, I was as tired as hell after the long day I had. Before I changed, I grabbed my phone from my pocket, pulling it out and immediately dialing the one and only number that mattered to me. It only rang twice before I got an answer.

"Hello?" She asked, confused.

"Bells." I whispered breathlessly, immediately relieved that I had done my job, and that Charlie was no longer in the house for the moment. I smiled to myself, forgetting my problems momentarily, and just glad to hear her voice.

"Edward." I could hear the smile in her voice.

I couldn't waste anytime getting to the details. "What happened?" I immediately asked, needing answers. "Tell me _everything_." I ordered softly. I heard her pause on the other end. "Bella?"

Then, I heard her sigh. It wasn't a painful sigh, or even mad – It was. . ._bored_? "I made him dinner." She told me, sounding far too casual. "Shrimp Alfredo. It's his favorite." She told me matter-of-factly. I was instantly jealous; The bastard didn't deserve her probably wonderful cooking every night. I waited for her to go on. "The house was clean when he came home." Again, her voice was full of boredom. I narrowed my eyes even though she couldn't see. She was fucking stalling.

"What did _he_ do?" I asked, keeping my tone from sounding irritated. "Did he hurt you?" The most important question. And all I could do was pray for the right answer. She paused again, her soft breathing sounded into the phone like my lullaby. _Focus, Edward,_ I scolded myself in my mind, _You can go right to bed afterwards_.

Then, I heard a sound that I was least expecting. A quiet, bell-like laugh on the other end of the line. She was _laughing_? "I think I love you a lot, Edward." I heard her giggle softly. "He didn't touch me. He didn't have time." My jaw dropped in astonishment. Seriously? I let out a surprised chuckle, running my hand through my hair.

"Really?" There was no stopping the grin that was no spreading hugely across my face. "Nothing at all?" I was shocked. After being gone for a few days, I would have expected him to give her hell. Of course, I was glad to be wrong for once. Fucking glad.

"Well, he was actually just about to," She paused, and I could still hear the relief and joy in her voice. "When he got a call." I already knew the next part. "About a fire." She whispered softly, her tone full of gratitude. Hell, she had no reason to thank me. I would do it everyday for her if I had that many houses I could burn down.

My smile became smug. Hell, yeah. One for Edward Cullen. Zipp-o for Charlie Dickface Motherfucking Swan. He didn't even deserve her last name. I heard her yawn into the phone and realized like myself, I was keeping her from bed.

"Get some rest," I told her lightly.

She yawned again. "Kay. Night." I smiled to myself, wondering how I had ever gotten so lucky with her. At first, I was afraid that she had hung up, but I could still hear her quiet breathing on the other end.

"Bells?" I asked her quietly, shutting my eyes for a moment. "I feel kind of guilty, you know. Not kissing you goodnight again and everything." Her soft laugh filled my ear and rang through it, sending pleasant vibes all throughout my body. I fucking loved her laugh.

"How about double tomorrow?" She compromised. A request I would happily grant her. And more. I laughed into the phone, loving hearing her enthusiasm.

"Deal." I grinned widely, yawning. Wow, I really _was_ fucking tired. And so was she, I could tell. "Love you, Bells." I told her sincerely, smiling to myself when she eagerly said it back. I don't think I'd ever get tired of hearing it. . ._Or_ saying it. Anything for her, anything to make her happy. I snapped my phone shut, still pretty pleased at what I had managed to accomplish.

Desperate for sleep, no matter how early it still was, I shrugged out of my tee-shirt and jeans, slipping on a fresh pair of boxers. I jumped into bed, _literally_, and pulled the covers over myself. I drifted off to sleep the minute my head touched the pillow, forgetting all about my earlier worries for now. . .

I woke up early the next morning, surprisingly refreshed by the ten hours of sleep I got. I _never_ got that much sleep. Fucking eager to get to Bella's, I showered and ate my breakfast alone – Everyone else was still asleep. Except for Carlisle and Esme. They had left early a few hours ago to catch a plane to San Fransisco. Carlisle had a business trip, and Esme always went with to them.

After I jugged down a glass of OJ, I grabbed my keys and headed for the Volvo. Once I was in it and pulled out, I noticed a fresh coat of snow spread across the ground. I grimaced; I didn't really care for the cold. But, then again, this was Forks. It was either fog, snow, or fucking rain. By now, I didn't expect much more.

I pulled into her driveway, suddenly a little nervous. I had told her I didn't care if Charlie was going to be there or not, but what if my coming made things worse for her? I swallowed hard and stepped out of the car, slowly making my way up the front steps and to the door.

I knocked softly once, and stood back, waiting for an answer. It didn't take too long, and I was instantly relieved when the door opened and I was met by a smiling face. _My Bella_. And for the moment, she _wasn't_ broken, she _wasn't_ in pain. I grinned at her, reminding myself that there wasn't anything to worry about for the minute. At least, that's what her face was reading.

"Hi you." I grinned crookedly at her, holding my arms out for a hug. Of course, she ran straight into my embrace. Nuzzling her face into my chest as I eagerly wrapped my arms tightly around her. I kissed her forehead softly. "_You_ seem in a good mood?" I raised my eyebrow suspiciously at her as she pulled away.

She shrugged and smile. "Charlie's gone for the day again." Her eyes lit up at the mention of his absence. Was she serious? I couldn't believe it. She noticed my skeptical expression and went on to explain. "Fishing. With some friends." She made a face, "Though, I can hardly imagine _what_ friends he's talking about." She laughed to herself quietly, "He's probably out somewhere getting stoned." And with that, even I had to laugh a little too. Though, I hardly ever smiled when the subject of her father came up.

But still, there was something about her. Something _different_. It was like a cloud of fucking chipperness, or _Alice-ness_, surrounded her. I was terribly curious, but at the same time, didn't want to pry. "How was your night?" I asked a different question instead, an easy one. I already knew the answer, we had talked about it last night.

"Fine." She answer simply, pulling me with her to sit on the couch. I followed along, still a little confused by her extremely carefree attitude. I _never_ saw Bella like this. I liked it though. I liked it a fucking lot. Once we were sitting, she tilted her head at me. "He's been acting weird lately, you know." I knew she was talking about Charlie. "I mean, when he got home last night, I was expecting the worse." She told me darkly, "But, he acted as if I wasn't there. Wasn't alive." I made a face. "And this morning, the same thing. I'm not sure what it is, and I'm not sure how long it will last, but I've decided that I'm going to enjoy life while I can." She finished happily.

"That a girl," I smiled widely at her. Her sudden change of mood towards life was surprisingly refreshing. In fact, the words she had just spoken, may have saved me from having another breakdown tonight. I tossed an arm around her shoulder lightly, "So, what do you wanna do today?" I asked curiously, taking her hand in my free one and playing with her fingers.

She didn't answer at first, so I leaned back to study her face. She was grimacing. "Well," She sighed, sending me an apologetic look. "I sort of already have plans." I stared at her, waiting for her to explain further. "Alice and Rose are apparently borrowing me for the day." Of course. "They want to go shopping, to a movie – All that stuff." She smiled nervously at me.

Hell, if she had plans, I wasn't about to stop her. In fact, I was glad that she was getting in some girl time. Leave it to Alice; She must've somehow known that Bella of all people was the one who needed it most. And it didn't matter that I had nothing to do, because at least she'd be happy.

I smiled back at her assuringly and nodded. She grinned back sheepishly. "When are they coming to kidnap you?" I asked curiously after a few seconds. She grimaced again, probably at the true reality of the words. I smirked.

"Um, in like, an hour?" She asked me as if I knew the answer. I just shrugged at her, at least happy that I'd get to spend a little amount of time with her. And fuck it, she shouldn't be worried about me; I'd just have to suck it up and find my own way to entertain myself. Of course, Jazz and Em were gone for the day too, so I really wasn't sure what I would do. They were off at some football clinic.

Suddenly, I remembered something. The deal I had made with her last night. Her big, brown eyes met mine; they were curious. I answered her silent question by leaning my forehead against hers, slowly inching my lips to hers. And because she was Bella, reckless when it came to our relationship, she quickly closed the distance between our faces.

Her lips mashed to mine in a hasty manner, wasting no time sticking her tongue in my mouth. I fucking loved that thing – It was soft, warm. Just like Bella. And as much as I wanted to keep kissing her, I remembered the incredibly awkward kissing position we were in. She must've sensed it too, because right as I pulled back, she quickly darted herself onto my lap, straddling me.

Of course, that left me with no other view than her pretty chest, unintentionally jutting out at me. And just because the world hated me, her thin shirt clung to her skin tightly and cut down into a nice V shape. The amount of cleavage that was showing now was probably pretty modest; Not for Bella though.

Before I was caught ogling her shamelessly, I quickly darted my eyes back to meet hers. Once we were both satisfied with the new position, we went back to a few minutes of breathless kissing. I tenderly, yet fiercely sucked on her bottom lip as she traced mine lightly with her tongue. Each time I'd pull away and stare into her eyes, they became more and more hooded with fucking lust.

This shit was getting out of hand.

Just seeing her looking at me like that, forced me to desperately beat down the fucking hormones threatening to surface. As much as I didn't want to, I had to control myself. She couldn't see the teenage motherfucker in me. I had promised myself that a long time ago.

After another ten minutes of soft, light, non-tongue kisses, everything began getting more passionate. And desperate. The whole time, I was battling with what I wanted, and what was right. Surely it wouldn't make any difference if we each got a slight taste of what second base would be like? She sure didn't seem to mind. In fact, you'd think she was fucking asking for it.

I sighed into her mouth, desperately trying to ignore my throbbing erection below us. It wasn't making things better as her ass continued to grind on it. Whether she was doing it intentional, or unintentional, it was causing the motherfucker in me to come out. Neither of us wanted that.

Once again, her eyes found mine; Hooded and lustful as ever. I bet mine resembled them a whole fucking lot, because I knew that my want was far stronger than hers could ever possibly be. And just because I knew we still had some time on our hands, and because I was finally allowing myself _something_, I reached my hands and placed them on either side of her waist.

She squirmed impatiently, desperate for me to just fucking do something. I couldn't deny her that, could I? It wasn't wrong if she was basically putting me up to it, was it? And suddenly, I didn't care anymore. My hands slowly moved up the sides of her tiny torso, enjoying the warm feeling radiating from her skin.

Her breathing was loud and breathless as my hands slowly made the journey to where we both wanted them. I couldn't believe what I was doing. And because I trusted Bella, because she trusted _me_, I allowed myself to keep going.

I continued to kiss her; Our tongues playfully darting in and out. I groaned breathlessly into her mouth once I remembered what I was doing. As slow as ever, my hands inched up, almost reaching her sexy, round breasts. Impatiently, she wiggled her hips and tugged at my hair – She knew I always loved that shit. My eyes rolled back into my head just a little, finally just letting my hands do whatever the fuck they wanted.

My hands reached her peaks, pausing for a moment to make sure she wasn't about to protest. Of course she didn't. Then, I just fucking did it. I reached my palms up so that both of them were now hovering very closely over breasts. She moaned into my mouth, causing me to bite back a moan myself.

I lightly put pressure on them, and began massaging her peak with my palm. Eventually, both hands were cupping her breasts completely, and the feeling was fucking sensational. It didn't escape my notice that they were perfectly proportioned in my hands. I wondered what else would be perfectly proportioned. . .

I immediately stopped where _that_ train of thought was going; My head already too clouded with lust to really be able to focus. Slowly, I began adding pressure, gently squeezing each peak lightly before pushing them together in my hands. I couldn't look at what I was doing; Not if I was going to maintain any self-control I had let.

She moaned again, and shoved her hips down on mine while tugging on my hair some more. It was almost starting to hurt. _Almost_. I couldn't fucking think straight anymore. I continued to gently squeeze her in my hands, putting a little more pressure each squeeze. We stopped kissing for a moment, meeting each other's gaze. Her eyes were pleading; Fuck, she wanted a real grope, and apparently I wasn't giving her one.

I had to beat back the urge to raise my hips into hers, knowing it'd only make shit worse for me. Because she fucking wanted me to, I squeezed her breasts harder, completely shoving them into each other. She groaned and writhed against me. I grunted, moving my lips down her jawline and to her neck. Once again, I squeezed them together, harder this time as I began nibbling lightly on her neck.

It tasted fucking delicious. I moaned loudly, removing one hand for a second to roughly push her down against my erection. "Fuck." I groaned breathlessly, sucking some more on a soft part of her neck. My hands continued squeezing and massaging as both our breaths came out in wild gasps.

Her shirt was so thin, that with my palms, I could feel her fully erect nipples. It made me moan again. Not being able to resist the urge, I brought my thumbs up and swept them downwards, while still firmly apply pressure to the rest of them. Her moans were almost enough to break me. _Almost_. I restraint myself from all that shit though. _Good boy_, I thought smugly.

I knew we had to stop though, because Rose and Al would be here soon, and because we had definitely gone way farther than I had ever planned to. Reluctantly, I released my hands that were impossibly tingling. I didn't know anything could feel so fucking good. And all I did was fucking grope her! I couldn't even imagine the possibilities when. . ._Fuck_, my erection throbbed. I had to stop thinking like that. About that.

She sat up straight in my lap, adjusting her clothes and running her tiny fingers through her hair. Both our lips were red and swollen, and I knew because Alice was Alice, it wouldn't escape her notice what he had been doing. Bella's eyes met mine, impossibly happier than when I had first came here. I smirked back at her, rolling my eyes.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Bella got up off my lap to go and answer it as I followed closely behind her. Alice stood in the door way, hands on her hips and impatient to leave. Rose must've been waiting out in the car.

Well, I guess our time was done. Fuck.

I ran my hand through my hair, licking my lips again. I could still taste Bella. Fucking delicious as hell. She shot me another apologetic expression as Alice tugged her hand out the door. I kept my face from a grimace, not wanting to give myself away. Feeling the chipper Alice in me come out, I blew her a kiss in the doorway as she drove away. What the fuck? I didn't know _what_ I was doing anymore.

I shut the door after Alice's Porsche was out of sight, knowing that I should probably leave soon too. Instead, I sighed contently and sank back into the couch, letting my eyes close. _Best fucking grope ever_. I was too pleased with how far we had gotten to really be disappointed in myself. How could I be? Bella liked it; What was the problem? Nothing.

Eventually, I dragged my ass to the door, shut it behind me, and got into the Volvo. I drove home slowly, not exactly eager to have the house to myself. When the house came into view however, I realized that I was not alone. There was another car parked in the driveway; A unfamiliar, yet familiar car. As much as I didn't want to be able to, I could identify that car from anywhere.

I groaned loudly to myself once I got closer, and it was confirmed who's car that was. _Shit_, I thought angrily, _Did it really have to be now?_ Irritatedly, I slammed the car door shut and headed inside of the house, knowing I'd have to take care of him sooner or later.

I would have picked later, but apparently I didn't have the choice.

After walking through the entry way, through the kitchen, there he was, standing in my living room. My dad. _Phil_. I could feel my shoulders immediately tense up, and memories threatening to fight their way to surface were held back. His eyes met mine as I glared fucking daggers at him and walked into the room. How the hell did he even find the house?

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I spat curtly, keeping my territorial stance a few feet in front of him. He glared back at me, taking a step forward. I remained standing still.

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" He shot right back at me, raising his voice. "I'm visiting my damn son." He laughed humorlessly, bitterly. "The light of my world. The joy of my existence." His sarcasm was coming out in more of angry hisses than anything. He had always been ashamed of me.

I glared at him, not speaking. If he wanted my fucking money, he wasn't getting it. Not this time. I had learned my lessons plenty before – I had to have. Crossing my arms, I waited for him to speak some more, not letting his hurtful words get to me. _You're stronger than that_, I reminded myself. The only thing that for some reason kept me from fighting the dickhead was Bella's face in my mind. It was disapproving, like I knew the real Bella would be.

"Well, you saw me, now get the fuck out." I ordered, gesturing with a nod towards the door. He took another step towards me; I stared at him with hatred. "How the fuck did you find us again anyways? Why would you waste your time coming here?" Questions I knew he wouldn't answer, but I had to ask anyways.

He took another step forward and loosely threw an arm around my shoulder. "Ah, Ed. You've got quite the mouth, don't ya? Looks like you got that from me." He said darkly, knowing how much I already hated him. Angrily, I shook off his arm and took a few steps back, not being able to stand being so close to him.

"I didn't get _anything_ from you." I spat, annoyed.

His head snapped up and when his eyes met mine once again, they were fucking furious. Kind of how I felt. He came closer again, getting in my fucking face again. "Listen here, you little bastard." His voice was just above a whisper, I scary as hell whisper. "If I could have it my way, you'd still be sleeping with sluts every night and making money for me." I cringed, not being able to hide the pain from my face. "_But_, your piece of trash mother won't allow that, will she?"

I became impossibly angrier. "Don't call her that." I whispered, meaning to sound furious, but coming out as sounding more breathless than anything. My fucking incredible morning with Bella was turning into a nightmare. My hard on from before had already completely gone down; Obviously. My dad was the farthest thing away from a cause of a boner.

"Oh," He smiled evilly, "I'll call her whatever the damn thing I want. I'll call _you_ whatever the damn thing I want." His smile turned into a deadly smirk. "In fact, there are a few things I'd like to share with you now, if you don't mind?" I did fucking mind, but I was pretty sure that he wasn't going to give me a choice.

I eyed his figure – He had gotten a whole lot thiner since the last time I saw him. His hair and features looked more youthful, younger. . .In fact, all of him looked younger. If I wouldn't have known him already, I would have thought he was only in his late twenties. Man, plastic surgery was fucked.

Before he had the chance to express his undying hatred for me, I couldn't help but throw something in to piss him off more. His choice of words was always more interesting when he was really irritated. I smirked at him, "So, how are those male enhancement pills treating you?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "I mean, I bet your dick still hasn't seen any action since Esme, but you've tried, right?"

I wasn't expecting his reaction when he charged at me, slamming my back into the wall. It only hurt because I wasn't expecting it. _Shit_, he had gotten stronger. I almost wanted to laugh. If I were to check his back pocket, I bet it'd be stashed with steroids and shit. "Fuck, listen to me!" He yelled furiously until I would finally meet his eyes. I refused, looking anywhere but his face as he pinned my arms to my sides.

I could have easily escaped, but what was the point? It's not like he was planning on leaving anytime soon. He'd still tell me everything he wanted to say whether I was standing in front of him, to the side of him, anywhere. I sighed irritatedly and finally just met his eyes. And I fucking hated seeing them, because it was like I was staring into an exact match of my eyes.

I clenched my teeth together, bracing myself for his next words. "You're a piece of shit, you know that?" He yelled in my face, words that had been repeated countless times. I sighed, boredyl. Would he ever get creative? "If I would have had it my way, you never would have been born!" Yeah, heard that before too. "The only reason anyone loves you is because your step-daddy's got more money than God!" Weird. Hadn't heard that one yet. "The only reason your mom loves you is because you look like me!" I almost wanted to laugh in his face, but restrained myself. If only he knew how much I wished I didn't look like him.

"Finished?" I asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. He slammed my head against the back of the wall again. It didn't feel too great, but I could easily handle the pain. "Apparently not." I muttered under my breath. After the first few visits he had made, I had just learned to shut the fuck up and listen; That way, he'd leave quicker.

"Lemme see your arm!" He ordered loudly, grabbing it and holding it out in front of the both of us. I was wearing a tee-shirt, so he didn't have to look very hard. On the inside of my forearm, there was a long scar, barely visible unless you looked. "Ah-ha." He nodded smugly, smirking as I released it from his grip. "See, that's proof. Proof that you're unloved. You should have stuck with that life." The scar had been from a night two years ago; He got some crazy bitch to pay a lot of money to beat me up. Trying to get revenge on her boyfriend or some shit by taking it out on me. I cringed at the memory – It was one of the worst nights of my life.

I had never gone into detail with Bella about it, because I didn't think it really matter. Plus, I knew it'd upset her a lot. Glaring at him once again, I shoved my way past him. Normally, his visits weren't this long. Couldn't he leave? I was starting to get real fucking impatient to just be free of him.

I turned facing the other way, so that my back was to him. I felt his hand grip my shoulder and tried to shake it off. "Gimme your wallet." He ordered. Of course, I had been waiting for that request to come sooner or later. I let out a low, humorless chuckle.

"In your fucking dreams." I told him, shrugging his surprised hand off of me. I had never said no to him before, so he still wasn't used to my reluctance yet. He hadn't gotten used to the fact that he didn't own me anymore. Hell, he never had.

Expecting it when the impact of his body weight flew at me, I instantly flung him off of me, causing him to smash into the coffee table. Ah, shit. Esme had just gotten that as a gift, and now there was a leg missing. A stared at the lop-sided table for a minute, feeling sort of remorseful for not throwing Phil somewhere else. I was immediately snapped out of that thought when he came at me again. This time, I wasn't prepared.

He shoved me to the ground, pinning me down by sitting on top of me. If someone would have walked in the door at that very moment, it would have looked seriously fucked up. It _was_ fucked up. He reached into my back pocket as I tried shoving him off of me. He was light-weight, but still heavy. I felt him pull my wallet out, cursing under my breath once he got off of me.

"Thank you, son." He smiled at me, smirking. "You're a good boy." The same words he had always used after one of my nights in hell. The painful memory knocked me to the ground as if Phil would have done it himself. I heard his bitter laughter and the front door shut, indicating his departure.

I pounded a fist to the ground, causing the items on the table to rattle. "Fuck!" I hollered, slamming my fist down once again. I heard his car start up, and suddenly lifted myself off the floor and bolted to the door. Opening it up and running out onto the porch, I yelled after him loudly, knowing he'd hear. "I fucking hate you!" I screamed. "You're not my dad!" My temper was beginning to get dangerous, and I knew I had to calm down soon.

His car slowed down momentarily, sending me two friendly little honks as he then sped off. I stared after his car, as once again, angry and hurt tears filled my eyes. Why was I crying so much lately? God, I was a fucking baby, that's why. I couldn't help it though, they sort of just came.

I muttered another string of profanities under my breath. Then, I heard someone clear their throat. A female. I turned to my left to see the neighbor girl in her yard, working on flowers or some shit. From what Carlisle had told me, she was a few years younger then I and the perfect choir girl. I scowled at her, raising my hand to give her the bird. She gasped, shocked, and I walked back into the house.

Sinking onto the couch, sprawling myself across it, I knew what I needed.

I needed Bella.

In that very moment, I needed her more than life itself.

* * *

***wipes tears away* Yeah, I cried a lot while writing this. So what? *blows nose*  
Poor Eddie can't get a break, can he? This was a pretty deep chapter for him. Pretty much every emotion possible went through his head, didn't it?**

**Okay, so a lot of important things happened this chapter.  
AND, you got your lemon slice. ;D  
It was actually a lot more than I had originally planned, but whatever, they both deserved it.**

**Another import thing; PHIL'S ENTRANCE.  
Yeah, you all knew it was coming sooner or later, didn't you?  
The fire as well, I wrote that in there more detailed because I wanted to give you a taste of what was going through his mind while he did it.**

**All of these things I would love to hear your feedback on!  
As always, of course! I'm honestly curious for your reactions though, so type away! XD**

_**Reviews are better than Edward giving the finger to innocent choir girls!(:**_


	20. Angels Cry: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

**Yeah, chapter 20 is hear. Woah, 20? Yeah, guess so.  
It's been a long time, hasn't it? I just checked the date of when I posted the first chapter and realized that it was over three months ago. Like I said; WOAH.**

**This chapter's song is _Angels Cry – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_  
Ah, good old RJA. I gotta tell ya, that band as been with me since the beginning.  
I chose this song because for one, it's amazing.  
Two, it basically fits the emotions of E/B very well at the moment.**

**So yeah, I need to take a minute to express my undying love for you all.  
Seriously, first of all, I have 270 people for Face Down being their favorite story, secondly, I've got 300 people on Story alert, and thirdly, your reviews.  
I know I've probably tried to stress how much I love you guys in each of my review replies, but I really don't think I get my point across clear enough.**

**I love you.  
I FUCKING LOVE YOU.  
All of you.  
You have no idea how appreciated all of your comments and feedback are.  
It truly is insane – When I first started this, I had no idea, trust me, that anyone would even read this. So I thank you for that.  
I swear to god, if I could give you all Edward Cullen, I would.  
Just remember that.**

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**BPOV**

"Wait, what happened?" For the second time that day, Edward was sitting next to me very comfortably on my couch. Well, _I_ was comfortable. He was far too tense, and everything about him was stiff.

"He came to my fucking house, Bella," Edward growled as I felt his fists bawl up tightly, while his arm stayed wrapped around my shoulders. "He fucking _found_ me again." His expression was so torn, it had me hurting.

It had been the same way ever since I had came home and found him waiting for me. Well, I think he might have fallen asleep on the couch for a little bit, but woke up as soon as he heard my voice. Right once he woke up and as of now, he wore that same facial expression: Pain. Vulnerability. Edward wasn't suppose to be the vulnerable one.

"What did he do?" I was angry. _Really _angry. "He didn't hurt you did he?" My voice had the slight tint of hysteria in it. Edward shook his head, still glaring at the space in front of him. "What _did_ he do then?" I was sort of confused. It was like he wanted to tell me something, but wasn't able to at the same time. I knew the only way to get it out of him was by being persistent.

His face suddenly turned to mine, green eyes piercing. "Don't you see, Bella?" His voice was getting louder by the minute. I was getting worried; I'd never seen him so upset before. His eyes were all wrong too. "It's not _what_ he did, it's just the fact that he knows I'm here now!" I cringed. "And the fact that he'll do his best to make my life hell every chance he gets." His eyes clenched shut, and I could tell that he was trying to calm himself.

I began rubbing up and down his chest with the hand that had been limply resting on it. I knew it would somewhat help him with the whole calming down process. A small change; His breathing began to become less hectic. It was a start.

I didn't say anything as I let the silence fall around us. I knew that it would be better to let him tell me the things he wanted to on his own time. We were both alike in that way. After a few more minutes, the silence began getting awkward as I felt him silently fuming besides me.

"There's gotta be something we can do," I hedged nervously, hoping that by say this, it wouldn't upset him. He didn't move, or say anything; I went on. "I mean, can't Esme do something, or Carlisle?" I already knew the answer before he had to yell it at me.

"What _can_ they do?" He yelled, suddenly standing up so that he could pace hectically around the room. I cringed a little at his hostility, but realized that his anger wasn't directed towards me. "The only cop with any power around here that _could_ do something is your fucked up dad!" He gritted angrily through his teeth. Once again, I cringed.

I lowered my head for a moment. He was right. "I'm sorry," I whispered remorsefully. I didn't hear his loud footsteps moving anymore, so I looked up. He was staring at me with an absolute heartbreaking expression. Coming from Edward, it just made it that much more painful to look at.

He slowly shook his head. "No, Bella." His voice cracked with regret. "_I'm sorry_." He whispered apologetically. He shut his eyes momentarily and sighed, opening them again and walking back over to me. He sat down right next to me, taking my hand in both of his. "None of this is your fault, and I'm sorry to be acting like a dick to you. They're _my_ problems, and not yours. It just. . .It just fucking kills me till no end." He said flatly. Were we still talking about Phil?

"Yeah, it's horrible." I responded automatically.

"Make it stop," His painful whisper barely audible, "Let me make it stop." I froze. We weren't talking about his dad anymore, and I couldn't have this conversation with him now. Everything had been going so well lately, or so I thought. I just, couldn't have another argument with him. I think he already knew that.

And then, completely unexpectedly, he leaned his head on my shoulder and rested it there, in defeat. I almost died. I almost died, because it wasn't Phil making him feel like this, or even Charlie. _It was me_. I was hurting him unconditionally by making him keep my secret, and I hadn't even known. In that moment, I hated myself more than I ever had hated anyone.

I sat there with a broken Edward at my side, not being able to do anything but let the tears fill my eyes. What could I do? I couldn't let him tell anyone; I hadn't decided if the consequences from his actions would turn out good or bad.

There had to be a way to make this work without making either of us suffer anymore. But what? Edward was normally the one who would save the day, who would figures things out. Right now, more broken and vulnerable than I had ever seen him, I knew that it wouldn't be the case anymore. Helplessly letting the tears fall from my cheeks, falling onto my lap, I listened to Edward's strained breathing. It wasn't making things any better.

"Edward, I know," I was doing an unsuccessful job at keeping my voice from cracking, "Not yet." I pleaded softly, "We can find a way. We can make this work, I know it." You'd have to be completely mental not to hear the doubt in my voice.

Edward remained silent, not moving, not speaking. Every second of silence ripped at me a little more. I couldn't take it. I couldn't take _this_. Problem after problem, pain following more pain. Where was our break? I had never doubted in God's existence until then. Surely he couldn't burden someone this much, while others had perfect lives.

And for the first time, it wasn't myself I was feeling sorry for.

It was Edward.

I knew one word, one _single_ word would make it all stop. But I just couldn't cling on to the idea that everything would be alright afterwards? What if Charlie killed us? What if he killed _both_ of us? At this point, I knew anything was possible. And I also knew that one thing was for sure; I would rather go through a _million _beatings than let anything happen to Edward. That's just how it was.

That was the only reasonable solution I saw as of now. I knew that Edward would go along with whatever I wanted, whether I deserved that or not. And, being the horribly atrocious person I was, I asked him the question that would only making his suffering worse. I question I knew he'd say yes to.

"Don't tell anyone, Edward?" I felt more guilt than imaginable. "Please?" My tears continued to silently fall. Keeping his head rested on my shoulder, his hair tickling my ear, he nodded slowly; sadly. _Kill me now_. I shut my wet eyes and rested my head on his. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but eventually the windows were indicating that it was getting dark yet.

God knows when Charlie would be home, but neither of us wanted to take the chance and risk it any longer. Edward gave me a light, chaste kiss on my lips and quietly murmured "I love you." The pain in his eyes still showed, and if anything, it had gotten worse. As enthusiastic I had been this morning, as great of a day I had had up until this evening, I sadly whispered it back.

That night, Charlie never showed.

What the hell was going on?

Edward picked me up a little later the next morning, letting the both of us sleep in later than we usually got to because Charlie wasn't there to beat me up. I had my theories about what he might be doing. As the car ride to school stretched out thanks to the ice on the roads, my ideas began getting more creative.

"I think he fell into the lake and drowned," I had smiled to Edward while stepping in his car. With great effort, he grinned back. He still wasn't back to normal Edward. Normal Edward didn't have to work so hard at smiling. Desperately trying to make his mood light again, I came up with things that could possibly cheer him up.

"Maybe he blew himself up in a meth lab with his friends?" I hedged, throwing in a giggle because I knew he always liked hearing it. No dice. All I got was another forced smile. This wasn't working. I gave up, crossed my arms in defeat, and was silent the rest of the way.

It was like this the whole day at school. He would walk me to each of my classes, standing protectively at my side with an arm wrapped around my waist. Nothing new. No one stared anymore, and not even James or Vicky put in an effort to make my life hell anymore. They knew not to try.

Hoping his mood would cheer up by lunch, I hurried to the cafeteria, hoping to find a smiling Edward, expletives and all. He hadn't even thrown out the F word in the last couple of hours. Sitting down at our usual table with his family, I waited for him. After ten minutes, he still wasn't there. Another ten past, nothing.

Alice noticed my anxiousness and rolled her eyes, reassuring me that he was probably just off taking care of some "guy stuff." Whatever the hell _that_ was. I had the feeling it was more than that though, so getting tired of waiting, I got up and walked out of the lunch room. Where I was going? I had no clue.

Just going by instinct, the first place I checked was out Door 7, leading out to the old track shed where I had once gone in need of some quiet. I pushed open the doors, and once I was outside, squinted towards the possible location he could be. I saw him, messy bronze-hair, black leather jacket and all. And just because I still hadn't gotten used to his beauty, my heart skipped a beat.

Without thought, I ran through the foot of snow he had gotten over night, tripping over my feet at least three times. I was only about twenty-five yards out, and he still couldn't see me. He was leaning up against the shed with his shoulder, his back facing me. The bottom of my jeans were now soaking wet from the snow. I had just realized how cold it was, and started to shiver. All I had on was a thin, brown sweat. Edward had complimented me on it whenever I wore it, so by wearing it today, I was hoping it'd cheer him up a little.

I just noticed now that he had a cigarette in his hand, and was smoking. It wasn't a big surprise; I already knew smoked sometimes. I didn't like it, but I guess it was to be suspected. I mean, people had their own different ways of coping with things. The problem with Edward was that he had a way of bottling things up inside him until he would burst.

Without thinking, I quietly walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his back. He knew it was me, of course, and quickly spun around facing me. Worried I had done something wrong, I let go and stepped back.

"Jesus, Bella," He rasped, sounding like he had been crying. His eyes didn't appear to have been, but then I realized that the tears were in his voice. "What the fuck are you doing in the cold?" His eyes brows knit together in a disapproving way. Okay, I guess it was sort of cold. I could handle it though. My lips twitched slightly at hearing his normal language again. I had just noticed now that he was shrugging out of his leather jacket. He ordered me to spin around, helping me slip my arms through the huge sleeves.

Once we were both just standing there again, the awkward silence came. His eyes bore into mine a way that made me nervous. It was more than just pain now, but I couldn't put my finger on what that other emotion might be. I gulped, about to ask him what was wrong when he sighed.

"You know what bugs me?" He asked in a harsh tone, annoyed. I raised an eyebrow. "Cheerleaders." He spat. I sure wasn't expecting _that_. I nodded, shrugging. I already knew this. I also had a pretty good guess as to who he was referring to. "Victoria." We both groaned at the same time, shaking our heads. He smiled a little, not forced this time. Hey, at least it was a start.

"Well," He said, blowing another smoke ring into the air, "It's hard to go to school here when all of the girls at Forks are as shallow as a shower." The annoyance in his voice was strong. The girls must've been messing with him again. I wanted to scratch their eyes out. Edward did _not_ need anymore stress than he already had.

I stared at him, "Wait, what am I?" My tone was full of mock worry, yet still curious as to what his answer would be. "A bathtub?" That got him. My favorite crooked smile slowly spread across his face, and his eyes even lit up a little.

"Nah," He grinned, chuckling and brushing a piece of loose hair from my face, "You're more of a lake." He shrugged casually, still smiling.

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, I guess at least that's a little better. . .Wait, which lake?" I titled my head to the side as he cracked up laughing. Scowling at him, I crossed my arms. Smart-ass.

"Bells," He grinned after he had finished laughing. "I was kidding. Those girls have got nothing on you. You're the most amazing person I've ever met." His voice was full of honesty. I beamed at him, then blushed and looked down at my feet, also feeling a little smug that I was able to make him happier again.

I knew that whatever was bugging him before wasn't about the sluts. I didn't ask though, for fear that his dark mood might come back. Instead, I took his hand and led him back to the cafeteria, knowing we'd be able to make the last ten minutes of lunch. Well, or so I thought. . .

Edward had other plans for those last ten minutes. He spun me around so that my back was pressed up against the shed, taking my arms and pinning them above my head with one of his hands. The other playfully rubbed along my stomach, sometimes gently finding its way to my breasts and fondling them. Even though it was only twenty degrees, his hot lips were on mine, and I was greedily wanting more.

Ever since yesterday morning on my couch, we had crossed a bridge. It was a good one, definitely. I hoped that this casual touching would continue, and he wouldn't think we were doing something wrong. He always thought stuff like that; That he wasn't _deserving_. I had other plans, letting his hand roam to wherever the hell it wanted as we continued our breathless kissing.

Eventually, we went back into the building, and the last bell couldn't have came any sooner. Though, I was fine with it today, because my last class was art. Emmett always knew how to cheer me up when I needed it. And of course, once the bell _did_ finally ring, Edward was leaning against the wall outside of the door, waiting for me.

We drove home in content silence; Edward's mood hadn't improved completely, but it was definitely making progress. He held one of my hands tightly while the other stayed on the wheel. Instead of spending the whole afternoon at Edward's, we had decided that it'd be better if I spent some time at home, working on homework and such. He also had explained to me that he had been neglecting his family lately, so I quickly agreed that my house would be best.

We turned onto my street, and all of the blood suddenly drained from my face once I saw the car parked in my driveway. My father was home.

I waited a few seconds before Edward noticed as well, and his grip on my hand became more of a death grip. I could have swore I heard his teeth snap together, and I glanced at his face. He was glaring ahead, his a jaw squared off, and his face also pale. So much for all of the progress we had made today.

Slowing down the car, he pulled into the driveway. His breathing was loud, tense, and somewhat uneven. I was frightened. Charlie had been gone for a while, and that always meant bad things for me. I'd had too much of a vacation from his ways, I realized, and I knew once the pain came, I wouldn't be used to it.

"Do you want me to come in?" He gritted through his teeth, still glaring ahead at the windshield. I thought about it for a moment, but then decided against it. I shook my head, and his shoulders became impossibly more tense.

"It'll be worse for me," I went on to explain, knowing he couldn't complain with that. "Trust me, it will be better if I just get it over with early. Besides, I've had a long enough break from him – Any longer and it will just be worse." He cringed, making a face of disgust. I knew my method of calming him hadn't worked.

"Look," I told him, waiting until his eyes finally met mine. The liquid green usually flowing in them was frozen. His hostile stare had me depressed, yet unsurprised. Could I have really expected anything else? "I'll text you tonight, okay? I'll let you know anything important." I said, trying to be reassuring.

He nodded once, shifting his gaze from my eyes to going back to staring at the house. I sighed, taking a deep breath of fresh air, of Edward's scent, knowing it'd be all the pleasantness I'd have soon. One last sad look from him and I stepped out of the car.

Appearing to be brave because I knew Edward was still watching, without hesitation I opened the door knob and stepped inside the house. Of course, once Edward was completely absent from my presence, the worry came back. I began taking deep breaths, asking myself what the worse that could happen would be. I had already gone through enough hell to be use to it, so I figured it wouldn't be a horrible night.

I heard that the TV was on, _of course_, and foolishly went into the living room to investigate. Just as I had suspected, he was sprawled across his chair in an unusual way. He must have been pretty stoned, because he hadn't noticed he wasn't alone yet. I studied his eyes; They blood-shot, dangerous. The bags under his eyes made it look as if he had been wearing a type of eyeliner. I didn't even know what to think.

All I did know was that whatever he had been doing the past couple of days, _sure hadn't been fishing_.

As I stood there, I shifted my legs, debating on whether of not I should make my presence known. I sighed quietly to myself. I figured it'd be better to get this over with now, than have to deal with it later. It'd just give me more time to be afraid, and I _never_ wanted that. I made up my mind.

I cleared my throat. Twice, actually, before he heard.

His head spun around, wobbling a little as it finally faced me. His eyes narrowed as he took another gulp from the beer in his hand. I stared back, confused. I couldn't place it, but there was just _something_ weird with him. I still had my theories; The one that seemed most plausible so far was the pot.

"What the hell do you want?" He slurred, and I swear, even as far away as I was, I could smell his disgusting, booze-filled breath. I held back a gag and shrugged. Where was all this casualness coming from? When was I _ever_ casual with Charlie?

"Where have you been the last couple of days?" I asked, not caring either way, though still a little curious. Expecting his harsh answer, I didn't even flinch.

"It's none of your damn business." Whatever. Like I said, I didn't care either way. But, for some odd reason, the day that I could have probably gotten off the hook, I had to badger for answers. What the hell was wrong with me? Couldn't I have just walked away?

"I thought you were fishing." I rose an eyebrow skeptically at him, tilting my head to the side and crossing my arms. "Were you doing something else?" God, I was stupid.

An angry expression crossed his face, but I guess that was to be expected. "Look." He glared at me, "I don't think it's any of your damn business what I was doing," He repeated. "I met up with some old friends, had some fun. Now get the fuck away from me before I break that smug little face of yours." Yeah, definitely pot. Or crack. Either way, I wasn't going to think twice about his request. I bolted up the stairs and into my bedroom.

What the hell was up with him? I mean, it had been almost a week since he last touched me. I couldn't decipher the motives behind his actions. All I knew was that this wouldn't last. It was kind of like. . .The calm before a big storm. In fact, I knew that was _exactly_ what it was like. I didn't bother letting Edward know anything yet, figuring that the night was still young, and that anything could happen.

Spread out across my bed doing my homework, I was right. I heard a quiet knock on the door. It made me freeze, and sent shivers up every inch of my body. This was what I had been expecting, I reminding myself, I _knew_ I wouldn't be let off the hook. I gulped, and rasped out a shaky, "Come in?"

I wasn't surprised when my father's face came into view. It was smiling, no, _smirking_. A part of me wanted to run to Edward, but the other part reminded me that I couldn't. I stayed frozen on my bed, refraining myself from moving even a single inch. I kept my game face on though, and glared right back at him.

Hoping he'd just get the job done fast, I sighed and closed the book I had been reading. I also sat up, staring at him and waited. It's not like I wasn't scared, because I sure as hell was. I was just used to it. I was _used_ to this.

Blinking once, staring at him, the monster approached me. . .

**EPOV**

I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit I was a nervous wreck. Nervous fucking wreck. This is what Bella wanted, I reminded myself bitterly. I couldn't deny Bella of what she wanted, no matter how ridiculous that request was. Frankly, at the moment, it pissed me off.

I honestly had no idea what to do with myself. The last month, I had basically been with Bella from sunrise to sunset. Well, technically. Now, having the whole evening in front of me, I had no idea what the fuck I was suppose to do.

Ever since I had gotten home, I had been waiting. Waiting for _something_. Waiting to hear from her, for a text, anything. But, I'm pretty sure all of this waiting was causing me to grown prematurely gray. Edward, did not _do_ gray hair. No fucking way. So instead, I gave up thinking of something to do and rounded up Em and Jazz for some video games. It had been so long since I last had just teenage guy time.

Everything had been so stressful, so painful lately. The next two hours, pure fucking heaven. I forgot how much fun killing animated people could be. Fucking delightful, actually. I even yelled at the TV and shit along with Emmett.

After we had finished devouring the pizza Jazz had ordered, I called it a night with them and headed up to my room. I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and flipped it open, checking for any new calls or messages. Nothing. Even though I normally didn't hear from her for another hour, I was beginning to get real fucking uneasy. She had been with him for far too long.

I'd give it until eleven; If I didn't hear from her by then, I was going over. I didn't even give a fuck if Charlie was still awake or not. I'd take my chances for her, and she had to have know at least _that_. She may not stopped me from telling anyone, but she couldn't stop me from making sure she was safe and okay.

Pure fucking agony were exactly the words to describe what the next three hours had been like. It was unreal. By the time the clock eventually flashed eleven, I was positive that there had to have been _some_ gray in my hair. Ah, shit. Wonderful.

By the time I snuck over to Bella's, I was already in an unbelievably pissy mood. I had hit about a million trees on my way over for some reason, and stepped in some type of animal shit. I spent about ten minutes of thoroughly trying to wipe it off in the clean grass. I swore, if I didn't find her in one piece, that motherfucker was going to die. It also didn't help the fact any that I was still pissed about the whole canceling my credit card thing. It was also two-hundred bucks I now didn't have. Fucking great. My shoes were also soaked from the shit-ass snow that had covered the ground.

Using the back door as always, I quietly slid it open and stepped inside. Her house was cold; Didn't the fucker at least have the decency to keep her warm? Well I'll be damned, if I saw that thermostat, I'd be turning that sucker up to ninety fucking degrees. Smiling smugly to myself, I slowly made my way up the stairs.

All the lights were off, and I couldn't hear any noises. Good, I thought. Just the way it should have been. So far, so good. Everything seemed normal. Having became a pro at silently climbing the stairs, I made it up them in less than thirty seconds. I turned to head towards Bella's bedroom, something that I didn't even have to think twice about doing it after this long.

Even from across the hallway, I could hear her father's loud snores, and wrinkled my nose in disgust. If I had it my way, he shouldn't have even been breathing in the first place. I sighed silently to myself, wondering if Bella would ever let me touch him. I didn't see what the problem was. I'd let her sucker-punch Phil all she wanted. Thank God she was never going to get the chance to even see him though.

As quiet and carefully as ever, I pulled open Bella's door. I adjusted my eyes to the darkness for a moment, and quickly shifted my glance to Bella's empty bed. _Empty bed_. Bella's bed was empty. It took me a moment to grasp that, as I instantly gritted my teeth together. There was only a moment when rage completely consumed me. Not long after, panic took its place. Where was she?

I was positive I hadn't seen her lying anywhere on my way through the house. I scanned my eyes around her bedroom once again, frantically searching. Then, I heard the tiniest of noises; a shuffling movement coming from somewhere in the room. _The closet_. I gasped in horror, knowing already what I didn't want to know.

Without a second of hesitation, I bolted over to those doors and swung them open. I had to keep hold of the wall so that my legs wouldn't give out on me. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. . ._I kept repeating in my mind. Bella was in there alright; In there all tied up with duck tape over her mouth. What kind of sick bastard did this to their daughter?

I wasted no time with that thought.

I leaned down, unsure of whether or not she was hurt and scooped her into my arms. Her eyes were wide open, fearful, and soaking with tears. Gently, I laid her down on her bed so that she was sitting straight up. I could tell that she was having difficulty with it, and it basically broke my fucking heart the way the tears were falling down her cheeks.

Giving her a silent, apologetic look before doing so, as painlessly as possible, I peeled up duck tape from her lips. Once again, it pretty much fucking killed me. As soon as the tape was gone, she began drastically gasping for air as her body shook from the silent sobs she was producing. Next, I removed the rope tied tightly from around her arms.

After that was gone, I brought her small wrists up to my lips and planted soft kisses on every inch of skin that fucking rope touched. I glanced my eyes up at hers, and they were closed; the tears continued to spill out. "I'm hear, your safe." I whispered, comforting her with the words I knew she'd except. Her eyes stayed closed as she moved closer, nuzzling herself into my chest, wanting me to hold her.

I did. I constricted both my arms gently around her fragile body, aware of the fact that she was probably hurt. I didn't ask. I didn't _have_ to. I let her soak the front of my shirt as she continued to cry. After a while, I heard her sniffle quietly a few times, and knew she was done. I also knew that she had to have been tired as hell.

Without even thinking, I got up, quietly shut and locked the door, slipped my shoes off before climbing into her bed. She stared at me for a moment, her glistening brown eyes were confused. I pulled back the covers and slid under them, urging her to do so as well. She didn't hesitate for even a second before quickly–cringing while doing so–scooted under next to me.

I didn't give a fuck that I was spending the night while Charlie was home. Or even the fact that he was only two doors down. I could easily kick his ass, and I think Bella knew it as well. What I cared about right now, the _only_ thing I cared about right now was holding her in my arms and making her feel safe. Just like she needed to feel.

And just it had before, her head immediately found my chest and nuzzled into it. I tucked my chin so that it was resting on her forehead comfortably, wrapping both of my arms completely around her lightly, still aware of her broken body. This felt right, despite the fucked up situation for making it happen, it felt _right_ to be sharing a bed with Bella.

It wasn't long before her sniffles stopped, and her breathing became quiet and even. Not being able to be angry while having Bella in my arms, I all but forgot about the death plans for him. Of course, the death plans that would never happen, though they should. I bet Em would help me. For sure Jazz. Too bad I'd never get the chance.

The only think I wanted more than Bella, was the chance to beat that motherfucker's ass into the ground and keep it there. That's what I had always wanted since the first day I had discovered her awful secret.

It wasn't long before I too joined Bella in her silent slumber. . .

xx

I felt warm. And stiff. And oddly confused to where I was. And then, I felt the morning. I groaned at my damn erection, suddenly remembering the reason that had caused it. I wasn't sure what time it was. What I _was_ sure of, was that I had spent the night at Bella's house.

And the both of us were still alive.

For now.

Releasing one arm from Bella's waist, I reached into the back pocket for my phone. Checking the time, it was only a little past five. Knowing I should get the hell out of there before Charlie accidentally caught me, I released my other arm from around her and sat up, groaning once again in the process. Fucking boner.

Bella stirred a little in her sleep, nuzzling deeper into the covers. I wished that I could have still been lying next to her, how it _should_ have been. Fucking _best night ever_. Sort of. I still hadn't forgotten the reason of it being necessary. Which all of a sudden brought the heated rage that had been missing from last night into my system. Last night, I had been numb. Now that I had a chance to think about things, I could basically feel my blood set on fucking fire.'

Before leaving, I leaned down and kissed Bella's cheek lightly. As I was doing so, I noticed her face more clearly; Her left eye was black. Like, fucking swelling. Boner gone. It tore me up, and I knew that I had to get out of there now before I exploded and ended up breaking something. It tended to happen.

I reminded myself that I'd see her again in a few hours, that I'd be with her again, I quietly slipped my shoes on and left the room.

By the time I was outside, I was so far gone that it was unreal. My fists were clenched tightly into bawls as I stomped my way through the back forest. Thank fucking God I had a little light this time. I was going to burst; Already I could feel the words bottling up in my system. The words that were about to break the promise I had tried to keep for so long. If I was going to break that damn promise, I was going to do it now.

As quietly as I was capable of, I entered my own house, threw off my shoes, and tried my hardest not to stomp up the stairs as well. Without even knocking on the door, I flew angrily into Emmett's room, finding his slumped form bunched up under the covers. I envied his easy going life suddenly, bitter about why mine couldn't be the same.

I shut the door behind me, not knowing how loud I would get, and afraid that I'd end up waking someone else up. I walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, flipping on the small lamp and shaking his unconscious form a little too hard than probably necessary.

It took about a minute before I finally got a response. "Dude, what the fuck?" He groaned, turning over and finally opening his damn eyes. They darted from my face to the clock on his nightstand, narrowed, and went back to my face again.

Before he could began to get any angrier, I suddenly got off of his bed and paced around the room. He stared at me in awe. "You better have a pretty good fucking reason to be wa– " I held my hand up, stopping abruptly to cut him off.

"Bella's dad hits her." I said suddenly. The words spilling out without my permission. Once they were out, I knew that there was no stopping the ones that would soon be following. Well fuck it, I was already going to hell. Might as well tell him all the glorious details. He stared at me for a moment, his face turning from anger to confusion.

"What?" He asked, his voice somewhat stunned. I was too impatient for his sleep-deprived mind, so I continued on.

"I can't believe I hadn't found out earlier, Em." I moaned, rubbing my fingers to my temples stressfully. "Don't you see? That's why Bella's always so sad." This face showed a spark of realization. "God, it all makes sense now. I feel like such a goddamn idiot." I hissed, the self-hatred purely directed towards myself. A _lot_ of self-hatred.

"Hey," Emmett finally spoke, his voice no longer harsh, but remorseful. "Hey, don't be that hard on yourself man. It's not your fault." I could tell that he still hadn't grasped the seriousness of what I was saying. And, uh, _yeah_, it was sure as hell my fault.

"It _is_ my fault." I confessed angrily, beginning to pace again. "I can't do anything about it, and it just keeps getting worse and worse." I had to admit, as bad as if felt to be betraying Bella, it did feel pretty good to get this shit off my shoulders.

"Wait," He asked, stunned, "Why can't you do anything?" Good question, I almost wanted to snort. Why don't you ask my lovely girlfriend. I still didn't know what the fuck her reasoning was.

"She won't let me," I gritted through my teeth irritatedly, each words separate and distinct.

He furrowed his brows together, pausing for a moment. "Well, Ed, maybe it's not as bad as it seems." I was about to protest, and he knew it, so he quickly continued on, "I mean, sure it's a horrible thing, but maybe don't you think you might be. . ." He paused, "Overreacting?" What did he think this was? A fucking game? I mean, I loved him to death, but seriously. . .The dude could be a real dumbshit when he wasn't thinking.

"Overreacting?" I hollered in a whisper, "Emmett, he fucking _cuts_ her."

"What?" His voice just as loud as mine had just been as realization of the situation finally dawned on him.

"Now you see why I'm coming to you at five in the fucking morning, freaking out?" I gritted through my teeth, frustrated. It was true. I wouldn't be in here if it weren't for something import. I don't know why I chose Emmett of all people to tell, but hell, at least he was _someone_.

"Why doesn't she tell somebody or do something?" He asked in a puzzled, yet angry tone. He liked Bella too. She was a good friend to him from the moment they met. He narrowed his eyes at me, "Why don't _you_?"

"I already told you. . ." I sighed, finally just sitting down on the edge of his bed. "She won't let me." My voice full of defeat. "And I can't say no to her. For whatever reason, I promised her I'd keep it a secret, and that means you will too." He slowly nodded in agreement. "I've worked so hard to earn her trust, and I can't just throw that way, regardless if the consequences are good or bad." It was true. God knows what would happen if she found out I told anyone.

The big teddy bear's face became soft. "You really do love her, don't you?" He asked in just more than a whisper, intently waiting for my answer.

"With all of my heart," I said with all the honesty in the world. "More than life it's fucking self."

He seemed to think about that for a moment, and of course, the Yoda in him came out. Fuck _Star Wars_, I hated that stupid movie. His eyes grew wide and serious. "Then you might want to take her life into consideration."

**

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**

Sorry, I just had to leave it off there. I understand if you hate me.  
Okay, okay. So are you all happy? Ed finally told someone. Sure, that someone probably could have been someone more helpful, like I dunno, Alice or Esme. BUT. At least it's someone, right? Hey, we all love Emmett.

**Okay. I guess I have some questions to answer, don't I?  
First off, I want to start out by saying something's coming. Whether it's the next chapter, or the one after that. SOMETHING'S COMING. I'll let myself be entertained by all of your wonderful guesses. XD**

**Okay, so what did Bella do to Charlie? Well, I was always planning on having it switch off POVs there so that you could make your own assumptions on what actually happened. Also, no one wanted to read another beating, did they? I hope not. So yeah, you can just imagine that it was something bad, alright?**

**I've been asked this a lot, so I suppose I'll answer it.  
Heehee, the innocent choir girl was Claire, okay? There. Questions answerd.**

**What had Charlie been doing?  
Okay, you guys. Bella's guess was right. Obviously he had been doing pot and shit with some old buddies. I mean, seriously? Did you really expect _Face Down_ Charlie to go fishing like a normal dad? Exactly.  
So yeah, that's why he's been acting "off" according to Bella.**

**Er, I'm pretty sure those are the basic main questions.  
I guess if you have anymore, feel free to ask.  
I'm always happy to answer, of course! Unless you're asking for future plot, which is just. . .not okay. Yeah.**

_**Reviews are better than Star Wars(:**_


	21. So Cold: Breaking Benjamin

**I meant to get this chapter out a day early, but that plan was obviously fail.  
Oh well. Better late than never, right? So yeah. Here's chapter 21(:**

**This chapter's song is _So Cold – Breaking Benjamin  
_****Th****e reasoning behind it is quite simple, actually.  
I really adore this song, and I found that it fit the mood of the chapter quite nicely.  
If you've never heard it, listen to it. Trust me.**

**Well, I need to apologize for not responding to your guys' reviews for the last chapter.  
Really, I truly am sorry. Your feedback always means so much to me, and so I feel bad for not getting back to anyone of you. BUT. I will this chapter. I promise.  
I was just majorly busy this week. I know I say that a lot, but trust me. You don't even know.**

* * *

**EPOV**

I pulled into the driveway of Bella's house. I could have done it with my fucking eyes closed, I had been there so much. For the wrong reasons. Was there ever just a time I went there to be with her? To hang out? No. It had always been to save her, or to stop Charlie, or to protect her. I was sick of it.

I decided to arrive ten minutes earlier than normal, just so she wouldn't have to see Charlie at all. I was afraid to see _her_ though. Last night, in the dark, I couldn't make out the damage he had done. I knew now, that once she was in the light, I'd have a hard time looking at her. And it wasn't even because of the bruises or the cuts. It was the fact that her eyes would show that same pain and brokenness I tried so desperately to make go away.

Nervously, reaching my hand up and bawling it into a fist, I knocked twice, sharply on the door. Just as I suspected, it took a slightly longer time than necessary to answer. The door swung open, and Bella appeared into view.

It was worse than I thought.

Much worse.

Her face was tired; Her eyes red and swollen from all the crying she had done. Along with the puffiness, one of them was black. Fucking black. Like, his fist had to be made of fucking iron for him to do that. I bet he didn't use his fist, and my stomach suddenly churned at the possibilities. None of these things were the worse part though.

The worse part, as I had predicted, were her big brown eyes. They always seemed like the answer to everything. She shot me a small smile before quickly turning around and grabbing her backpack. _Fuck school_, I thought bitterly. If it weren't for now often Bella and I already skipped, I would have took her to my place for the day. But, unfortunately, both of our grade averages were beginning to lower.

I noticed as she walked, that she had a hard time with balance. That fucking killed me too. I'd stand next to her for support every second I could, because I'd do anything for her. Of course. Then, when she turned around, I noticed that it wasn't just balance as opposed to the fact that she was limping. I could feel my face go fucking pale.

Without thinking, I quickly went to her side, wrapping my arm tightly around her waist for support. I might have been the one who needed it more. She rested her head on my shoulder as I led her forward and out the door. Without a word, we both got in a drove away.

_So much for not skipping_.

An hour later, we were in the backseat of the Volvo. Somehow, I had ended up shirtless. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Bella. I was spread out on my back across the back row seats as she had herself laid comfortably on top of me, straddling her legs with mine.

Both of my hands were cupping her ass as she kissed the shit out of me. I kissed back, fucking eager as always, yet a little bewildered. How the hell did we come to this? I wasn't complaining, definitely not, but something just seemed. . .wrong. Her hands ran down my chest, sending shivers of pleasure up my spine and through my body.

Then, realization it me. I kissed down her jawline, sucking lightly on her neck and keeping a tight hold on her ass. This was so fucked up. I realized that, the both of us were using each other, _literally_, to escape the stressed out lives we each had. The way Bella was kissing me, desperate, like she always seemed to be. And the way I was kissing _her_. It was to escape.

And I knew I should feel bad about it, or that it should feel wrong, but it didn't. My massive boner in between us was just proof alone. I liked this. If we were going to continuously suffer day after day, it was only fair that we got a little something in return? Right?

I wasn't talking about using Bella to get myself off or any shit like that. Of course not. Escaping was not the only reason we were doing this. It's not like I didn't want to be _with_ her 24/7. It's not like I _didn't_ want to let my hands roam in the uncharted places of her body, or feel her hips grinding into mine. I definitely wanted all that shit. A lot.

I hissed into her neck as I shoved her hips–firmly, but gently–into mine. Her hot breath blowing in my mouth; Filling my whole body with her floral scent. I had never liked flowers. . .Up until a little over a month ago. Now, I fucking loved them. And I got to smell them a whole lot – In Bella's hair everyday.

I plunged my nose into her thick curls, inhaling them deeply as her lips continued kissing every inch of my face they could. Groping her ass in my hands once again, squeezing as I pleased, I moved my lips back to hers urgently, and sucked on her bottom one. I fucking loved that thing. Bella, hands down, had the best fucking lips ever. And, as ashamed of the fact as I may have been, I had kissed a _lot_ of girls. I was glad I could finally settle for one, and for the right reasons.

I heard the first period ending bell ring from inside the school, and realized that now would be as good a time as any to stop. Unless of course, I wanted to end up fucking the love of my life in the back seat of the Volvo. Because, that's sure as hell where we were headed. I wasn't going to do that to her; to the both of us. She deserved so much better than to just be fucked. She deserved to be made love to. And I had no fucking clue how or if I was even capable of granting her that.

Giving her one last squeeze, I sighed and removed my hands, and lips, as she did the same. Her eyes slowly opened up, brown and beautiful as ever, gazing curiously into mine. She was wondering why we had stopped. I almost had forgotten the reason, getting lost in her eyes as always, when I suddenly became coherent with my thoughts again.

I shot a look towards the school and back to her, shrugging. Her eyes filled with realization, and annoyance as she sighed as well. She didn't want to stop either. Slowly, and as carefully as ever, she slid off of her lap, avoiding any movement that would cause her pain. She didn't have many options.

Giving myself a distraction, I picked up my shirt from on the car floor and shrugged it on, retrieving both her and my jacket from the front seat. Handing it to her, avoiding eye contact so I wouldn't see the pain her eyes were showing. I heard the slightest gasp while she slipped her arms through the sleeves. Fuck.

Once we were each decent, well, not really–Bella's lips were swollen red, along with my own. Her hair was messier than when we had arrived, and her cheeks were completely flushed–I planted a light kiss on her forehead, whispering "I love you," with all of the meaning my voice could give her. Because, I _really_ fucking did.

I kept my arm securely around Bella's waist as I walked her to her art class. No one stared at us anymore. At least, not most of the time. I would occasionally notice James eye-fucking her, and have to give him the look of death. Or Victoria and her loyal skanks, shooting her bitchy glances and shit, trying to get her to fall on her face. She never did though. She was becoming so brave, and I was so fucking proud of her.

Just as we arrived at the entrance to her class, we were met by Emmett. He shot Bella a grin, holding out his hand for a high five. I rolled my eyes. She wasn't a fucking three year old, I wanted to tell him. But then his eyes met mine. They were concerned – Bella's pain must've been showing. I shot him a warning glance, making sure he wouldn't bring _anything_ up. He narrowed his eyes momentarily and sent me one curt nod. He didn't like what was going on here.

Well, neither did I. But did I really have any other fucking choice?

Not now, at least. I muttered my goodbyes to both of them and hurried off towards my geography class in a rushed manner, not wanting to be late _again_. Esme was starting to get suspicious, and I knew the teachers were too. I could _not_ handle getting suspended for skipping. I already had too much shit to worry about.

Class was a fucking drag. I felt so bad, I wanted to murder myself. The lecture Mr. B was having was absolutely, positively the most turning-your-brain-to-mush lecture on the compass rose. Follow the little red arrow if you wanted to go north. Great. What else did we have to fucking know? I sighed loudly, slumping into my chair and catching the eyes of a few classmates from around the room.

Finally, the bell rang and I sprang out of my chair, literally, and headed towards the door. Unfortunately, I didn't get that far until I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. Thinking it was just another stupid girl, wanting to bat her eyelashes at me, I shook it off. It stayed there, and I spun around to see who the annoying motherfucker was.

The look on Mr. K's face once my eyes met his was not amused. In fact, there were about several different emotions I could read. Annoyance, understandable. Hesitation, also understandable; I think all of the teachers knew by now, _not_ to fuck with me. And then, there was concern. _Not_ understandable.

"Have a seat for a second, Mr. Cullen, please," He ordered, nodding towards a desk. I snorted, not being able to help myself. I wasn't sitting down in one of those desks any longer than I already had to. I remained standing in front of him, giving him a cross between a glare, and a skeptical look. "Very well," He sighed, walking over to sit in his own desk.

I followed, standing in front of his desk waiting for him to say something while my hands stayed tucked in the pockets of my jeans. But he just sat there. Fucking staring. "What?" I asked curtly, feeling a little uncomfortable having to stand there and be silently judged.

He sighed, rubbing his palm over his eyes. "Well, Edward," He said in a condescending tone, "I've been noticing some things." I gave him a look saying, _Um, more fucking specific please? I don't have all day_. "I'm not sure it's even my place to say anything in the first place," He fidgeted in his seat, "You seem. . ." He paused, staring anywhere but my face. "Tense."

Un-fucking-believable. Was he a teacher, or a damn therapist? I don't think he was paid to play Doctor Phil, and was wondering why it was any of his fucking business in the first place. It took everything I had not to storm out of that room, but I restrained myself. "Do I?" I gritted through my teeth, irritated.

"I'm not sure what it is," He continued on, "And I won't ask." Good. Because I won't answer. "_But_, I do think maybe you should talk to someone. About the things that have you so stressed." I held back a snort. _If only he knew_.

I nodded stiffly, stopping my fists from accidentally making contact with his face, keeping them bawled up in my pockets. Without another word, very fucking maturely, I walked out of the room. Once I was out and the door was closed, I slammed my fist roughly against a locker. Fucking furious. Did he just tell me I should go to therapy? What. The. Fuck. He didn't even _know_ me. And so what if I seemed tense? Isn't that what all kids looked like when they were nervous for a test or some shit.

I leaned my forehead against the locker I had just punched, breathing deeply to calm myself. Suddenly, I felt small, warm fingers wrap into mine. I spun myself around so that I was facing Bella. She gave me a small, sympathetic smile. I felt like shit. There was no doubting _that_ fact. At least now, Bella was with me though, and I wouldn't snap a teacher's head. For now, I added darkly in my head.

We walked to lunch in silence, our fingers intertwined the whole time. She was giving me the option, and I fucking loved her for it. More than I already did, which was basically impossible. She was silently letting me know that I could tell her if I wanted, but I didn't need to if I didn't want to. I wanted to kiss her. So I did.

Once I stopped walking, so did she. We were in the middle of the hallway, and she stared at me, confused. I bent my face down to hers, lightly pressing my lips against hers. A nice, chaste kiss. That was all I really need it. She must've realized it too, because she was the one to pull away first this time. We stared walking again, continuing to lunch.

We were almost within sight of the cafeteria doors when she broke the silence. "Is there something wrong with Emmett?" She asked, her tone indifferent. "He seems a little. . .off?" I froze. Of course he'd seem off. I had just told him this morning that her dad was a fucking murderer.

Quickly, I made my shoulders less tense and shrugged, opening up the door and holding it for her. "I think him and Rose just got into a small fight," I told her. When a worried look spread across her face, I quickly added, "It's nothing bad or anything, just a small argument. Emmett's kind of sensitive." I flashed her the crooked smile I knew she always loved, but also knew that it looked all wrong. It _felt_ wrong.

No one said much at lunch. The silence was fucking uncomfortable. Alice and Jasper must've sensed something eerie in the air, so both of them kept to themselves. Emmett continuously shot me concerned glances, nervous for Bella, I imagined. And Rosalie, well, she looked bored. As always. I wondered why I hadn't just told _her_ instead of Emmett. At least then I was guaranteed the secret to be kept.

Bella noticed my tension and was gently rubbing her small hand up and down my leg under the table. What made me even more mad was the fact that it should have been the other way around. Should _I_ have been comforting _her_? Life was fucked these days. Rarely anything surprised me anymore.

Jazz suddenly cleared his throat. "Ed, dude," He grinned, trying to ease the tension, I imagined, "Em and I were gonna go riding after school. You in?" My lips twitched, fighting a smile. Riding. I hadn't been on my bike in so long. The idea sounded fucking wonderful.

"You mean motorcycles?" Bella asked us, confused.

Em let out a laugh. "Hell yeah!"

Bella smiled back at him and rolled her eyes, then she turned to face me. Her expression was encouraging. "You should go," She told me eagerly, "You'd have fun." Both guys nodded in agreement.

I shot her a worried glance. Had she not remembered that Charlie was home? That I wasn't going to let that motherfucker within a spitting distance of her unless absolutely fucking necessary? "I'm going to dump my tray." I announced, standing up. Then, just like on cue, Bella stood up with hers and followed besides me.

Once we were out of their hearing distance, I stared at her once again. "I'm not leaving you alone at your house," I told her with a protective edge to my voice. It wasn't a question. "You're coming to my house, like always." I said casually as we approached the trash bin.

As we both dumped our trays, she grinned happily, her voice even. "No, I'm not." What the fuck was she talking about? I stared at her, dumbstruck. "Charlie's having a friend over. Tonight, I won't even exist." Her smug smile made me chuckle. Though, I couldn't understand how she was completely forgetting her problems from last night. That had been fucking horrible, what he had done to her. Not likely something you'd forget in just a few hours. "Plus I have some homework to do." She added with a glum look. Yeah, I had a little of that as well.

I shrugged though, because if Bella said it was okay, I trusted her. At least, that's what I wanted to convince myself. I wasn't about to argue with her. I wrapped an arm loosely around her waist, pulling her gently to my body as we walked slowly back to our table. "You should go." She hedged again, her brown eyes completely at ease.

I smiled back at her, leaned down, and playfully kissed her lightly on the lips. Because fuck. Who doesn't like some good PDA? Especially when said PDA is going on in front of said sluts said table. "Okay, I'll go." I whispered against the soft skin of her cheek. I felt her smile against my mouth. Pulling away, both of us smirking, we walked over and sat back down at the table.

"So," Em asked eagerly after a few moments, "You in, or what? We're going out by the lakes for a couple of hours."

I titled my head. "Em, that's not very long." I told him, my voice sounding the slightest bit disappointed. If I was going to leave Bella alone, the reason better be worth while.

I heard Jasper cackle from across the table. "That's what she said." He snorted. Alice slapped her face with her palm, shaking her head.

"Speak for yourself!" Emmett responded curtly, sneering and crossing his arms. Rose rolled her eyes, and Jazz looked like he wanted to say more. Good lord.

"I'll go." I told them both, my voice final. I wasn't ready to listen to an hour long discussion about who's dick was bigger. I wanted to _keep_ my lunch, thank you very much.

**BPOV**

I gave him a pleased look. He needed to go have some fun with his family. Many times, I feared that I was boring him. I mean, I knew I wasn't interesting. Plus, the last couple of days had been really hard on him. Phil had visited, and he was always blaming himself for the things Charlie did to me. I needed to give him a stress-free night.

I also wasn't lying when I told him Charlie was having a friend over to night. He had mentioned something about it before shoving me in that damn closet. I cringed. I was still desperately trying to forget the incidents of last night. I couldn't even remember all of it.

I remembered there being some choking. His fat hands had been around my neck until the last second. There had also been some hitting. My shoulders, my arms, _my face_. The black and blue around my left eye was beginning to fade, but the pain of the punch still killed me. Then, he had gone and gotten some ropes. It was the first time he had ever done that to me, and I feared that a habit would catch.

But then, my own personal savior rescued me. My Prince. Edward had found me, crumpled and broken on that closet floor. He had untied the ropes and held me in his arms until my tears finally dried up. Then, without even thinking, he had encircled me in his arms once again, and laid the both of us in my bed. I had been to exhausted to worry about getting caught by Charlie.

His arms had been like my halo; _He_ was like my halo.

My arms were still sore, my lungs still stung, but as long as he was here with me, next to me, I could face anything. Even the monster. It felt that way, at least. I shot him another smile, showing him that I would be okay. I was always afraid that he got stressed out too much over me. It was completely unnecessary.

The rest of lunch went by in a much lighter mood than when it had started. Edward was no longer tense. Well, not completely stress-free, but pretty improved from before. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward had all started a conversation about cars. I didn't even try to pretend to know what they were talking about.

Alice and Rosalie were planning yet again another trip to Port Angeles in a week. I gladly agreed to go along, always enjoying some girl time. Though, I did wonder how many times they could go there without eventually getting bored. Before I knew it, the end of lunch bell rang. I smiled to myself and turned to Edward. We had biology together next class.

He knew that too, and grinned back crookedly. This time, it looked more genuine. More _Edward_. Before, it had clearly been forced, and I hadn't liked it. Seeing it now just made me all the more excited at being his girlfriend. Girlfriend. I hadn't gotten over that yet. I would still giggle a little every time I heard it, feeling exactly like a seventeen year old girl. I couldn't help it. As I had read many times over and over, first love was a powerful thing. An amazing thing.

Hand in hand, we walked into the classroom together and took our seats, keeping our hands locked together the whole class. The way they should have been. We were both just lucky it was movie day. Mr. Barner hated any form of affection, so the fact that we were in the dark made us lucky. He had been divorced one too many times, and was bitter. Every time Edward would kiss me outside his classroom, he'd scowl at the both of us. Edward hated him for it. I, on the other hand, found watching their stare-downs amusing.

Once the day was finally over, Edward picked me up from my trig class and walked me to the Volvo. For once, I wasn't frightened at going home. As I had told Edward, Charlie wouldn't even acknowledge my existence.

The ride was comfortable. Edward even messed with the radio a little bit, making me laugh when he sang along with a rap station. "Fuck off," He had hissed playfully, not being able to sound annoyed. It had just made me laugh all the more. I think that was his intention. Man, he was good.

I was still giggle quietly when he pulled into my driveway. Leaning over, I pecked a light kiss on his cheek. He had other plans. He spun his body around, facing me completely. He brought his hands up, cupping each of my cheeks and stroking soft circles with his thumbs. His emerald eyes were glowing, and I couldn't look away.

He rested his forehead on mine for a moment, moving each his hands down to cup the back of my neck, and the other to weave into my hair. I could feel his hot breath, tickling my skin. His lips were just inches away now, and I was beginning to get impatient. It seemed like it was a game. A game to see who could resist the longest.

I always lost.

Yet, I couldn't be bitter about it for too long.

My lips crashed to his, molding into them perfectly. I took his top lip in mine, while he took my bottom lip, like always. Edward was so strong, so tough, it was hard to believe that any part of him could be as soft as his lips were.

But that was the thing rarely anyone knew about him. He was a big softy, like he often described Emmett as. Sure, he could throw in as many curse words as he wanted, punch all the lockers in the world, but he'd still always have the most caring personality I'd ever known, deny it or not. He saw himself as such a god-awful person, when really, he was beautiful. His soul was beautiful. And I loved him so much for it.

He had seen right through me. He had sheltered me from the pain I had been fighting off on my own for far too long. He had been there for me when I had no one. We were like two pieces of the puzzle. Without each other, we were nothing. We could still exist, but we were completely useless. As I was kissing him, I gave him all the passion in the world, just to show him how much he meant to me.

But, unfortunately, we were parked in front of my house, and Charlie's window was opening. Who knew if he was watching or not? Giving myself one last minute with Edward, I wrapped my arms around him, tangling them into his bronze hair.

Reluctantly, I eventually had to sigh and pull away. He chuckled, blowing his hot breath in my face, sending shivers down my spine. I wondered if I'd ever get used to him. I hoped so, because if not, the rest of high school would be awfully embarrassing. He chuckled, pulling my face back to his one last time before also sighing and letting go.

"Have fun," I told him happily before opening the door, hoping he would listen.

"I will," He promised, his voice honest. I opened the door and stepped out, and as I was about to walk away, I heard the window roll down. "Bella?" I turned back around, poking my head through the open window. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes were full of adoration. "Love you." He told me, smiling.

"I know." I laughed, "And I love you too." It was true. I was past the point of being in love. I was completely, hopelessly in love with Edward, and loving every minute of it. Which made me even more pathetic.

I hurried up the stairs through the garage, and pulled the door open. I slipped off my shoes and grabbed the books I needed from out of my backpack. On my way to my bedroom, I spotted Charlie sitting in the living room. Surprised, surprise. I wasn't planning on saying anything to him, but he stopped me.

"Bella?" He called, his voice scratchy and irritated.

I slowly spun around to face him. My mood instantly became worried. Not now, please not now. I had promised Edward that I'd be okay. I was suddenly afraid that Charlie had possibly canceled his plans. I was getting ahead of myself though, because he remained seated in front of the television.

"Yeah?" I gulped, inching towards the first stair.

"My buddy's going to be here in a little bit," He warned, his eyes narrowing. "And I want you to stay out of our way." I quickly nodded without a second though. Of course that's what I'd be doing. "But, if we need something, you get your ass down here and get if for us without having me ask twice." I cringed at the threat in his voice, quickly nodding again. I could handle this. "Good." He smirked, "Now get out of here."

I wasted no time asking questions. As fast as my body would let me, I made my way up to my bedroom. Without Edward, the pain and increased immensely. I shut the door behind me, and spread all of my books and notebooks across my bed.

Laying flat on my stomach, I got to work, imagining Edward and what he was doing. I wondered if he'd ever take me on his motorcycle with him. I'd never been on one, but had always wanted to. The adrenaline and the speed had always been something I thought I'd enjoy. I pictured him, his leather jacket and bronze hair blowing in the wind. I pictured myself, wearing one of his many jackets. I imagined the way he'd help me roll up the sleeves so that it would fit – The way he'd smile and tell me how beautiful he looked.

I pictured myself, arms wrapped tightly around him as we winded through the roads, going way faster than the speed limit. I imagined the way he'd promise me I'd be safe, and knew that I'd believe him. He was always safe when it came to me. And then, we'd find somewhere quiet, a beautiful place, and we'd kiss under the stars. . .

Suddenly, I pulled myself out of that fantasy, and got back to my ridiculous math problems. I sighed to myself. Yeah, definitely hopelessly in love. Probably beyond the walls of sanity, actually. I felt like one of those characters in the books, the ones I'd always criticize in my head for being so head over heels in love with someone. Now that I could think about it from a different perspective though, and now that I could relate to them, it made sense. I just never thought I'd be in this position.

I cleared my mind for the next two hours, only working or thinking about school stuff. Of course, I slipped a couple of times, and ended up in another one of my many Edward-fantasies. As the evening dragged on, they just kept getting even more and more creative.

Another fifteen minutes went by when suddenly, I heard my name being called. I groaned, getting up off my bed and walking to the door. I swung it open and peeked my head out. "Yeah?" I called back, hoping that maybe I had just been hearing things.

"I need you," Charlie hollered back loudly, and I could hear another man laughing loudly. His words were slurred; They sounded drunk. "Get down here!" He repeated, his voice cracking with irritation. What could he possibly need that he couldn't get himself?

I sighed, more annoyed than afraid, and slowly walked down the stairs. I heard their loud voices coming from the living room. I walked into the room, keeping my eyes glued to the ground, avoiding eye contact with the both of them. "What do you need?" I asked, biting my lip and praying it wasn't anything drastic.

"I need you to pour us both another glass of beer," He ordered in a scratchy voice. I heard his friend murmur in agreement. I nodded hastily and walked out of the room, heading for the kitchen. I wasn't about to give him any back-talk, though he rightfully deserved it. Couldn't he have poured a glass of his own freaking beer?

I pulled out two bottles from the fridge and grabbed two clean glasses. As I poured the first bottle into the first glass, I grimaced and wrinkled my nose. It smelt disgusting; How did people drink this crap? How did _Charlie_ drink so much of it everyday? It was beyond me. I threw the empty bottle into the recycling, and then did the same with the other. I had to try my absolute hardest not to spit in their drinks. Literally. I was fighting a battle with my lips and my saliva the whole time.

I walked back into the living room and over to Charlie. With a forced smile, I handed him his drink. Then, I walked over to where his friend was. I finally looked at his face, and there was something about it that was familiar. I quickly looked away, handing him his glass of beer as well. As I was about to walk away, he smiled at me. It was a frightening smile; Not a scary Charlie smirk, but a look of lust.

I kept the disgust from my face as I turned around. Forty year-olds weren't my taste. Especially sense I already had a boyfriend. All of a sudden, I felt his hand squeeze my butt. I jumped, quickly moving away from his reach. Once I was far enough so that he couldn't touch me again, I spun around to face him, giving him a look of confusion and disgust.

"You're very pretty." He told me, raising both of his eyebrows as he looked up and down my body. I felt so exposed, and gross. I mean, of course the one day I brave the courage to wear a low-cut V-neck, it happens to be the day an old man decides to check me out. Disgusting. I crossed my arms, covering as much of myself as I could.

"Thanks," I mumbled, about to walk away, when he stopped me.

"Hey," His voice was very sultry. And scary. "Why don't you hang out with us for a little bit?" He titled his head to the side, a playful smirk crossing his face. "I'm sure your dad won't mind." _My dad_ hadn't been paying attention to either of us until now. His eyes met mine for a second – Long enough to make my heart race through my chest. His eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded in agreement.

My legs suddenly felt like jell-o when he stood up from the couch. His hands were out in front of him, ready to grab me. Charlie's face was smug, watching as his friend approached me. The weight of my body suddenly felt like a million pounds. The look in his green eyes told me to be afraid. Not in the same way as I would be with Charlie, but in a different, frightening way. I took a step back, my breathing becoming more shallow.

"Come here," He gestured with his hands, his eyes looking at me as if I were a pile of T-bone steaks. "Let me see you." My eyes were wide, horror-struck. This sure as hell wasn't what I had been expecting tonight. I was already beginning to feel the moisture now filling my eyes. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"Listen to him," Charlie warned me, his voice like a knife. Of course, any other father would rip the head off of the guy who was about to feel up his daughter. Not Charlie. He was never "any other father", and I resented him for it. I resented him for this life. When I didn't move, Charlie stood up too, taking a few steps towards me. "Bella." He whispered, deadly as ever. "Listen to him, _now_." What kind of messed up situation was this, was what I wanted to know.

My instincts were telling me to run, that everything would turn out okay. But, all I could focus on was the way each of them began getting closer and closer, and the way both their beers and the TV were completely forgotten. When he was in an arms distance, I opened my mouth to scream.

Nothing came out.

I tried again, but all that came out was a small, gasp-like yelp. My face cringed, the tears dangerously close to spilling. I couldn't cry in front of either of them; It'd just make me feel even more powerless. So instead of screaming like I had planned, wild gasps were now escaping my mouth in a frantic manner.

He took another step towards me, and I could feel his breath in my face. Just like Charlie's always did, it smelt like alcohol. My eyes clenched shut, my face wet with silent tears. He reached his arms out, wrapping them around my body, resting them both on the center of my back. As soon as I realized what was going on, I tried using my arms to push him away. He was strong.

I began to whimper as soon as his hands began trailing down my lower back. His mouth was on my neck, licking it. Even though my thoughts weren't coherent, I _did_ know that the only person who could be holding me like this, ever, was Edward. He wasn't here right now though. Charlie's cruel laughter was not far away. Right before his hands were about to reach my butt, I shoved on his chest again, as hard as I possibly could.

"Stop." My voice cracked with hysteria, and was pathetically weak of authority. He snapped his head back, looking at me in the eyes. His expression was not amused. I was pulled away from him before I could look at him any longer. Charlie slammed me to the ground, my head hitting the wood floor with a lot of impact.

For a second, I only saw blackness.

I blinked furiously until my vision came back into play. Once it did, everything was blurry. My tears were taking over. I laid there on the ground, listening to his friend laugh in pleasure. Charlie, not so much. His foot made contact with my side, making me gasp loudly. A silent sob escaped from my chest. Charlie bent his face down so that it was hovering no more than a foot above mine. "Don't. Disobey. Me." He ordered, his tone final.

I stared back into his hate-filled eyes sniffling, and nodded once. I tried to pick myself up off the floor, but it was no use. I knew I'd just get knocked back down again. His friend reached his hand out for me to get up. Afraid of Charlie's reaction if I didn't, I took it and he pulled me to my feet. I could barely stand straight.

As soon as I was standing, he brought me back into his arms. Before his hands slipped up underneath my shirt, I pushed away, more gentle this time. "Bathroom." My voice barely more than a cracked whisper. "I need to use the bathroom." He instantly released me and I fell to the floor once more.

"Hurry back," They both smirked at the same time.

I nodded, my head throbbing. It took everything I had in me to scramble off of the damn floor. Once I was up again, I sprinted to the stairs. Stumbling on my way up, I ran into my bedroom and locked the door. I knew I'd only have two minutes at the most before they got suspicious and came to get me.

Frantically, I searched for my phone. I had to continuously blink back the water that kept forming in my eyes. After a minute of searching, I finally found it in the pocket of jeans I had worn yesterday. My hands were shaking so badly, I dropped it twice.

He had to have been home by now. I dialed the one number I needed most at the moment. While it was ringing on the other end, I tried my best to keep the sniffles from my voice. My panic continued to increase, knowing I didn't have much time. Finally, on the last ring, a friendly, "Hello?" came from the other end.

"Edward," I gasped, my voice full of pain, tears, and exhaustion.

"What is it?" His voice instantly fell completely flat. I began crying again, and his tone turned to anger and concern. "Bella, what is it?" He repeated his question anxiously.

"Help," I whispered, my voice broken. "He's got a friend," I rasped out, sniffling loudly. "Please help." I couldn't force anymore words than that from my mouth. I didn't get the chance to hear what he had to say; The phone was already closed, and I was already on my way back down the stairs.

I could hardly see straight – My head was throbbing, my ears were ringing. My legs continued to wobble as I brought them forward, back to the one place I'd rather die than go to. Back to the monster. The _monsters_. Just like I had left them, they were both in their exact same positions. Charlie was in the middle of finishing his millionth glass of beer, while his friend waited in the middle of the room with the same smirk that he had been wearing from before.

"Aw, you're back, beautiful," His face was even more terrifying than it had been before. I stood in the doorway, not being able to carry myself into the room. Unfortunately, my father had other plans. Apparently, he liked his friends to feel at home and have a good time when they were over. So if that meant letting him rape his daughter, he wasn't going to stand in his way.

Charlie stormed over glaring at me, clutching onto my shoulder with one of his death grips. His fingers were like knives. Hot, metal knives, searing into my skin. Once again, I tried to scream, but all that came out was a pathetic sob. I held my mouth shut, hoping I wouldn't start begging. I wasn't that smart in this area, but if I was correct, begging and reluctance usually made this kind of stuff worse for said victim.

Charlie dragged me over and threw me on the ground in front of his friend's feet. I had completely no control of what was going on anymore. For once in my life, I wanted to run. And the one time I wanted to, I couldn't. Both of these men were stronger than me. Both would probably have no problem with beating me dead. It was just a guess though.

His friend pulled me off my feet once again, standing me up straight in front of him. I closed my eyes, wanting everything to stop. For the pain, for _everything_ to be over. My body was completely numb. I couldn't feel anything anymore. I felt him drag me a few steps, his strong arms shoving my shoulders and back into the wall. My spine ached at the force he had put behind that shove. His chest was pressing up against mine.

Just like before, his hands began twirling the bottom hem of my shirt. My breathing hitched, and I clenched my teeth tightly together, not ready for what was coming. By now, the tears were pouring through my eyes without stopping. His hands, just like Charlie's – hot, knife hands – were beginning to make their way up my torso.

He was about to mash his face to mine, when suddenly a loud noise filled the living room. The front door, visible from where we were standing, was completely gone; Pieces of wood shattered on the ground. Standing in the doorway, was Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. _Edward_.

Edward's eyes darted around the room to mine only for a moment, before he was sprinting across the room. Em and Jazz followed behind him, eyes viciously looking around. Edward got to me, and threw the man who had been about to rape me on the ground, hard. Everyone in the room was staring at Edward, frozen.

Edward pulled me to his chest, and hugged me very tightly. My tears had not yet stopped, but gotten worse. I tried to furiously blink them away, needed my vision to be clear so that I could see his face.

Emmett and Jasper were now attempting to hold down Charlie's friend when my dad's loud yell filled the room. "Have your damn friends get their hands off of Phil!" He hollered to me.

I darted my eyes around the room, peeking over Edward's shoulder. Then, I suddenly figured out who this man was. Who Charlie's friend was. Edward let go of me and turned himself so that I was completely behind him; enclosed by his back and the wall. Edward hadn't realized who the man he had torn off of me had been before. Now he did.

His eyes bore into his father's.

* * *

**Two words: EPIC CLIFFHANGER  
Ha. I feel so bad for leaving you guys hanging like that. But then I don't, because it's way more fun this way. So yeah. I like cliffies, if you hadn't noticed. Sorry, this one's probably the worst yet! Ah, the suspense.**

**I feel like there are a bunch of questions I should be answering, and there probably are, but I just can't think of any at the moment. Please feel free to ask me if you have any. :D  
Oh, and you know what would also be amazing? Your feedback on this chapter. Their was angst, there was lemonade, there was abuse, and then, the suspense. What more do you need? So yeah. Reviews would basically dazzle me. Can we break 700? I think so. I think we can push for 1000 by the time the stories over actually, but we'll worry about that later. XD  
So I felt like I've rambled enough for one night.**

_**Reviews are better than Bella's motorcycle fantasies!(:**_


	22. Lullaby: The Spill Canvas

**Chapter 22. A day early.  
Yeah, I do have a heart, see.  
I mean, I wasn't going to leave you guys hanging for THAT long.**

**This chapter's song is **_**Lullaby – The Spill Canvas**_**  
Trust me, listen to this song, and it will melt your heart.  
After you read this chapter, it'll be very clear why I chose this song.**

**JUSTINE: Hey, Edward? I've got a question for you.  
EDWARD: Shoot.  
JUSTINE: Do you think you could, oh, I don't know, maybe lend yourself to the couple hundreds of girls reading Face Down?  
EDWARD: Err. What?  
JUSTINE: You know, go over there. Make out a little. All that jazz?  
EDWARD: I dunno. . .  
JUSTINE: Oh come on! They're amazing. They're **_**fucking**_** amazing!  
EDWARD: Well, I suppose if they're **_**fucking**_** amazing, this could work.  
JUSTINE: Thanks. Just remember, you're mine though, okay?  
EDWARD: Yeah. Whatever.  
JUSTINE: *crosses arms* Hmph. You're lucky you're hot.**

**Okay. Sorry. I HAD to do that.  
But seriously. You guys are completely, epically, fucking amazing.  
You don't even know.  
I was overwhelmed by all of the reviews you guys wrote. Seriously.  
I. LOVE. YOU. ALL.  
If I didn't respond to your review, it's probably because I couldn't without spoiling anything. Just remember though, I read each and everyone of them about a hundred times. I'm ferserious, though. Reviews = Love.**

**Oh, just read the damn chapter already! XD**

* * *

**EPOV**

I threw the keys on the counter, just arriving home from two hours of kick-ass motorcycling, just like Em had promised. I was really glad I had gone, because for a while, it had gotten my mind off of everything. Not that Bella wasn't already starring in every thought I had – every fantasy. It just gave me some time to forget about all the shit going on in our lives.

I followed the two into the living room while Jazz was already on the phone ordering take-out. Carlisle was in his study, researching on new medicines, and Esme was measuring the upstairs for new carpet. God only knew what the girls were up to.

I plopped myself down on the couch and watched as Emmett flipped aimlessly through channels. Getting fucking bored, I pulled out my phone from my pocket to check and see if there were any new messages. Nothing. Sighing quietly to myself, I slipped it back into my pocket. There was no reason to worry; Bella had told me numerous times that everything would be fine. I had to trust her.

I remembered the three of us stopping by a lake while we were riding. We had thrown rocks and shit in it, just because. That's not why I remembered it though. I remembered it because of the way Em would always shoot me these sympathetic glances, and give me concerned looks. I'd just ignore him, looking away for a distraction. I didn't need his fucking sympathy.

What I was grateful for though, was how he had kept his promise so far. I was really surprised he hadn't told anyone yet, what with him being Emmett and all. I mean, I had already shot that promise straight to hell. Who knew how Bella would react if she found out I had broken it? She'd be fucking pissed. Or worse, she'd be all sad and shit.

Sad Bella = Incredibly fucking sad Edward. It was simple, really. Of course, it wasn't necessary for sad Bella to come in play if Edward never acted like an asshole. Why the fuck was I thinking to myself in third person? I shook my head again, despite myself.

Pulling me out of that thought, the phone in my pocket suddenly started to vibrate. It completely startled me and I jumped in my seat. I grinned widely, shuffling to retrieve it from my pocket, knowing it was probably Bella assuring me that everything was fine. It was a little early for her to be calling though, wasn't it? Both of them stared at me like I had another head. Why was everyone so damn skeptical of everything I did these days?

I ignored them, quickly flipping it open and holding it up to my ear. "Hello?" I asked happily, eager to hear her voice. Also feeling a little fucking pathetic at the same time. At least I didn't answer on the first ring, right? Then I'd seem like I actually had a life. Which I did. Bella _was_ my life. It wasn't confession time though, so I listened for what she had to say.

"Edward," I heard her gasp; The sound cutting into me. Even though she had only said one word, I could tell that her voice was heavy with tears. I heard her sniffle on the other end to confirm that. Her voice also sound. . .tired? The hand gripping the phone instantly tightened around it while the other bawled into a tight fist at my side.

My voice went flat. "What is it?" I heard her start to cry. It broke my fucking heart. She didn't answer at first, and I began to get impatient. My eyes shut and I groaned quietly as I leaned my head against the back of the couch. This wasn't good. "Bella, what is it?" I repeated anxiously, angrily.

"Help," Her whisper was broken., and my heart ached to hear it. "He's got a friend," Her voice rasped, cracking with her tears as she sniffled loudly again. My teeth clenched together, and I was surprised the grip I held on the phone hadn't broken it yet. "Please help." She pleaded silently. I was about to respond, but the other line went dead.

I stood up immediately, shooting Emmett and Jasper wary looks. Well, wary would be the understatement of the century. I could feel the emotions on my face, and knew that they could see them. It was definitely a creative mixture. Anger – Because, well, duh. When your girlfriend calls you saying something's wrong and she's crying, it's normally not a good thing. Pain – I couldn't imagine what the bastard had already done to her. Determination – She was finally letting me do the one thing I had always wanted from the beginning. To save her.

They both continued to stare at me, stunned. Dammit, I didn't have time for this shit. "Come on!" I growled, storming out of room and signaling for them to follow. They both got up out of their seats and were only a few steps behind me. Frantically, I threw on a pair of shoes as they both did the same, bewildered.

Well, Emmett had a look of recognition on his face, of knowing. He knew exactly what I was referring to, and why I had the look of fucking death on my face. Jazz on the other hand, clueless as always. I didn't have any time to explain anything to him though, so I swung the door open, running out to the backyard.

I didn't know how bad this "friend" of his could be, or what would exactly go down if I went in her house while it was happening. I _did_ know that I couldn't do it alone though. That's why I had asked the two of them to come with me.

I glanced to the sky and to the small forest ahead of me. _Fuck_. It wasn't completely dark outside yet, but the trees and shadows were. Too late to run back and grab a flashlight. I began to mutter a creative variation of different profanities under my breath. Once we made it to the edge of the trees, I held my arms out in front of me, feeling around.

As I began weaving through the trees, Em and Jazz following close behind, I began loosing it. Of course, after taking a few steps, I tripped over a damn root. I couldn't hold in my expletives any longer. "God dammit, I'm gonna go and buy a fucking ax, and cut down all the fucking trees in this fucking forest!" Neither of them responded.

After a few moments, I heard Em's concerned voice from behind. "Ed," He told me, "She's going to be okay." How did he know that? How could he have possibly known that? I picked up my pace even faster as they both fell a few steps behind me. I continued to stumble and trip as I walked, more like jogged, through that motherfucker.

"Can someone please tell me _what the fuck_ is going on?" Jasper's whiny voice came from behind, confused and annoyed. I stopped and turned around for a moment, glaring at him. He immediately took his words and tone back, sending me an apologetic glance. "Sorry." He muttered.

"It's Bella," I heard Emmett whisper to him quietly, probably hoping I wouldn't hear. Um, Em. Hate to break it to you, but I can hear the things you say from two feet away. I shook my head, just getting angrier by the second. "She's in trouble." He told him, his voice anxious. No doubt was he ready for a fight, should one happen.

After another few minutes of silent hiking, I saw light from the other side. I also swear to God that I walked over a dead deer. I didn't stop to investigate. Once I could see the illustration of her house, I picked up my pace even more and was now running.

I ran straight to the back door, the one that I would usually enter at night. Trying to slide it open, it stood still in its place. "Fuck," I cursed under my breath. I tried the side door. Same thing. The only door I had left was the front door, and I was pretty fucking positive that would be locked too.

I jogged up the stairs, reaching for the handle. Em and Jazz were right behind me, waiting for instructions. I tried turning the handle, and wasn't surprised that it was locked at well. _Fuck, it just isn't your day, Edward, is it? _I suddenly had an idea I was fairly certain would work. I turned around to face the two, my voice hectic.

"Okay," I told them both in a determined tone, "We're going to need to bust this motherfucking thing down." I knew they were trying to be serious, but even _I_ had to smile a tiny bit at what we were about to do. Emmett grinned and him and Jasper exchanged knuckle punches. I rolled my eyes. "Bella's going to be in there, and things probably aren't going to be too peachy," I explained, my voice turning panicky again. "Charlie's got a friend over, so I'm not sure how things are going to be. . ." My voice trailed off. What the fuck was I doing explaining this shit to them? We had some damn rescuing to do!

I glanced at the door, and back to them. They both nodded with anticipation, cracking their knuckles. On three, we all ran straight into the door, easily busting it down. Wood went flying everywhere, and for a fleeting moment, I couldn't help but be smug. We just knocked down a door. _Fuck yeah we did_.

My eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for Bella's. It only took a few seconds to find them. Her brown eyes were filled with tears, and everything about her screamed exhaustion. Her body couldn't take much more. My eyes trailed to the reason she was pinned up against the wall.

My teeth snapped together, holding back the snarl building in my chest. I couldn't help but feel like a fucking animal, getting all territorial and shit, but that motherfucker's hands were about to be someplace they shouldn't have been. It only took me two seconds to fly across that room and shove him off of her. He wasn't expecting it, so I easily threw him to the ground.

I didn't know what Charlie was doing, probably just fucking gaping; All I cared about was Bella. Emmett and Jasper ran over to the man on the ground, keeping him there. I pulled Bella to me, crushing her tightly to my chest while constricting my arms around her small body. She was with me. She was safe. _Or so I thought_.

Charlie suddenly came into the picture, his voice yelling at Bella from the other side of the room. "Have your damn friends get their hands off of Phil!" He hollered loudly. _Phil_. I froze, my grip suddenly becoming a little too tight on her.

I reluctantly released Bella from my arms, turning the both of us so that I was positioned protectively in front of her, keeping her safely between my back and the wall. And finally, my eyes met my father's. He _smirked _at me. I glared back at him.

"You didn't fucking touch her, did you?" I spat, taking a step away from Bella and towards him. The room fell silent, no one moving. He continued to smirk at me, not saying a god-damn word. I wanted to scream.

Finally, he let out a hollow chuckle. "Just having a little fun," He told me, fucking _winking_. "I'm sure you'd know all about that, eh son?" Both Emmett and Jasper's faces became full of utter confusion, and they kind of just gaped at me. How the hell were they to know that this motherfucker was my father? I had never told them. I ignored their oblivious stares though, and focused only on the man that had ruined my life.

Suddenly, everything seemed to happen at once. Phil threw Em and Jazz off of him, springing to his feet. Charlie flew towards them, and I braced myself, ready for my dad to charge at me. I moved a few steps away from Bella, not wanting her to be close when I totally beat the shit out of him. I wouldn't have minded getting some of Charlie too; The father's from hell.

Before he could react, I threw myself at him, knocking us both to the ground and landing on top of him. He was strong, but I had the advantage of being on top. I brought my fist back, crashing it straight into his face. The impact of my punch hurt _my_ knuckles it was so hard. And then there was blood. Blood began gushing out of his nose, as a smug smile slowly spread across my face.

He growled, suddenly throwing me off of him and swinging his arms widely at any part of me he could get. I dodged each one of the punches and kicks he sent to me, trying to find out a way to have another go at that motherfucking face of his. Bella had her hand clamped tightly over her mouth watching, eyes wide and watery.

Charlie was bigger, so both Em and Jazz were having a go at him. Jasper would throw a punch to his stomach, momentarily distracting him from the next punch Emmett threw to his face. The three of us made a damn good team. I watched as Charlie's fist hit Em in a place no man should hit another. He momentarily gasped, crutching his hands to his crotch. His head snapped up, glaring daggers at Charlie's head. Suddenly, his leg flung out making contact with Charlie's shin, sending him staggering back.

"Fuck," He hollered loudly at Bella's dad, "Only _Rose_ can touch me _there_!" Leave it to Emmett to bring his sex-life into the middle of a fucking showdown. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Phil and I were slowly circling each other, both ready to jump. That's when the dick-head began to egg me on.

"So," He taunted, smirking and glaring at the same time, "That's your girlfriend, yes?" I clenched my teeth together, narrowing my eyes. He wasn't allowed to talk about her. At all. He noticed my reaction and sneered. "She's awfully pretty, you know." Oh, believe me, I knew. I just didn't want _him_ talking about her that way. Like she was a piece of god-damn food or some shit. His nose continued to bleed, the blood dripping on the floor. _Good_.

"You don't get to look at her," My voice raising in anger, "You don't get to _think _about her. You don't get to fucking touch her." He continued to smirk at me, and I was just about ready to rip that head of his off. "Touch her," I told him, my voice and face lethal. "And I'll kill your motherfucking ass." I could just picture Esme's face if she heard the kind of language I was currently using. I couldn't help it. I was beyond a little pissed.

My eyes flashed to his, then quickly to Bella's. They were full of fear, and hurt. Staring back at his smirking face once again, I became completely mortified. "Holy fuck," I whispered, slowly shaking my head. "You tried to _rape_ her." It felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. I sure as hell didn't see _that_ one coming. Although, I wasn't in the least bit surprised. Nor was I surprised that Phil and Charlie were buds. Great pairing, really.

And then, once again, my fury consumed me, and I lunged at him.

This time, his head hit the wood floor with so much impact, the sound made _me_ cringe. I began throwing punches to every inch of his body I could get to. This was for Bella. This was for _me_. For all of those years. He deserved to know what it felt like to feel so powerless.

I wasn't expecting it when Charlie suddenly crashed into me, shoving me off my dad. I wondered if he even knew we were related. I thought he'd be weak and tired from all of the shit I had already beaten out of him. I was wrong. If anything, he was more angrier. I struggled against Charlie's arms, restraining me. "Jazz," I hollered to him across the room. At the moment, he was escaping the grasp Phil held onto his shirt. "Call the police," I yelled, "Do it now, man!" He stared at me for a moment before nodding and hurrying out of the room to find a phone.

Emmett was now wrestling with Phil, attempting to get him into a headlock. Suddenly, Charlie pushed me onto the ground, dazing me momentarily. "Oh for the love of God!" Jasper yelled from the other room, his voice impatient. "They put me on fucking hold!" We all ignored him.

I sat there for a moment, catching my breath. My lungs hurt like hell, and my head fucking killed. I suddenly gasped, horrified as Charlie approached his daughter. His eyes were focused intently on hers as she stared into them, pleading. I scrambled to get up off the ground, but I felt my dad's shoulder on my hand, holding me down. With the other arm, he was still aiming punches at Emmett.

"Sit down," I heard Phil taunt behind me, grunting as Em kicked him in the leg. I was honestly surprised he was still standing. "Enjoy the show!" He exclaimed, his voice full of bitterness. My eyes widened as Charlie reached for Bella. Her eyes welled over with frightened tears, silent sobs escaping her throat. He gripped both of his hands onto her shoulders. I couldn't see his expression because his back was facing me, but I knew it'd be bad.

Once again, I tried shoving off the fucking hand that was holding me down, but didn't succeed. Charlie turned around to glance at me for a second, just a second, making me shudder. His eyes, they were so far beyond civil, I wondered if he was part animal. They were full of hate, and loathing towards his daughter. A vicious smile spread across his face as he looked away from me, turning back to Bella.

Suddenly, without warning, he slammed her whole body against the wall. Her pained scream filled the whole room and tore right through me. The wall behind her had cracked slightly, and her eyes slipped closed. I stared in horror as I watched Bella fall.

Face down.

At the feet of the enemy.

My rage-filled yells echoed through the whole house as I pulled my ass off the ground, running to a broken Bella. Charlie was laughing, smiling down at her looking smug. He didn't even pay any attention as I approached the two, my hands gripping tightly onto his neck. I squeezed tighter when he tried to struggle, forcefully pushing his back up to the wall. His eyes bore into mine, glaring at me. I glared back, trying to decide the best way to make him suffer. I felt a little fucking sadistic about the whole thing, but at this point, I really didn't give a shit.

I heard a small moan, and my eyes quickly tore away from his. My legs began to wobble and my grip loosened at the sight of her on the floor, crumpled and broken. I saw her try to blink her eyes open, but not being able to because of all the tears. Those fucking tears were what gave me my resolve. Shoving Charlie into the wall and then pushing him onto the ground, I found my feet and quickly made my way over to where Bella was.

Emmett had Phil pinned to the wall, pulling his hands behind his back and keeping him there as my father struggled against him. I wanted to tell Em it was okay to beat the shit out of him, but I couldn't find my voice. His eyes warily darted to Bella as well. Charlie was groaning in pain on the floor. _Good, that fucker deserved it_, I thought smugly.

I knelt over Bella, listening to her shallow breaths and feeling completely helpless. This time, there was nothing I could do to make her feel better. The damage was done. Jasper dashed back into the room and froze when he spotted the both of us. His eyes widened as he glanced around the rest of the room. I bent my head down, pressing a light kiss to Bella's forehead, to each of her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," I whispered to her, my voice full of agony, repeating those words over and over again.

Her tear-filled eyes met mine as her body trembled, violent sobs ripping through her. I stared down at her; I had never seen her so broken, so hurt. It was fucking heartbreaking. When I first became aware of her secret, her looks and actions were always heartbreaking, but this was just too much. And then, all I could focus on was getting the hell out of there.

As gently as I could, I lifted her shaking form into my arms, scooping her up off the floor. She clung on tightly to me, burying her wet face into my chest and crying. Her whole body trembling in my arms. I was afraid I didn't have the strength in me to do this. Not physically, but emotionally. I didn't know how long _I_ would last seeing her like this.

"We're leaving," I yelled to the both of them, hurrying across the room with Bella cradled gingerly against my chest. I needed to get her to my house as fast as fucking possible. Carlisle needed to see her immediately, and the honesty time had finally come. They followed closely behind me before either Phil or Charlie could get up from where they were on the ground. The police were already on their way anyways, and if Jasper told them all that he was suppose to, there asses would be in jail by tomorrow morning. I hoped, at least.

I carefully stepped over the wood piled in what was left of the front door, hurrying out into the yard. At least we were out of that damn house. I regretted my decisions to stay and fight when I should have just gotten Bella the hell out of there. I regretted them, but yet I didn't; I got to do something I had always wanted.

Keeping a tight hold of Bella, I jogged through yard and to the back with both Em and Jazz on my flank. Her crying hadn't stilled at all. If anything, it had gotten worse. Her body continued to tremble as she continued to let out little gasps and whimpers. I kept trying to calm her, but it wasn't exactly working. "Shhh, Bells," I kept repeating to her, planting light kisses all over her face.

It was now completely dark, so the backyard forest was going to be a bitch. I attempted to make my way through it though, trying not to hit any trees with Bella in my arms. I wasn't successful. After hitting about the billionth one, I got impatient. "Damn it," I cursed loudly, stopping for a moment. "Will you guys walk in front of me so I don't hit another fucking tree?" They sensed my stress, obviously, and nodded somberly, remaining silent and moving to walk before me.

We made it through those things surprisingly fast, entering our back yard. And then, I kind of couldn't wait any longer, and sprinted the rest of the way. Honestly, I was surprised I had it in me. With Bella crying and in my arms, after just beating up two old guys, and then running through a forest, I was surprised I wasn't more tired. Then I thought about it for a moment. _Tired was the understatement of the fucking century_.

Emmett and Jasper both ran after me, Jazz holding the door open for me and Bella when I got to it. I headed straight for the living room, sitting down on the couch while I held Bella in my arms. Her grip on my shirt tightened as she shook with another sob. It killed me, and there was nothing I could do about it. The two guys followed me into the room, both with sad looks on there faces. They sat down next to me, each shooting me apologetic glances.

I stroked her brown hair out of her face, trying to wipe away some of her many tears. My mother quickly entered the room, a huge smile on her face. She had a tray of smoothies in her hands. She took one look at the four of us, mainly Bella, and gasped in shock. The tray fell to the ground, shattering glass and pink ice cream everywhere.

She darted to my side, her hands frantically flying over Bella. I knew that she was like a daughter to her, and that she loved Bella like she was her own. "What happened?" Her voice was full of concern, her face on Bella's. "What's wrong with her, Edward?" She looked back at me anxiously, and then at Em and Jazz who were still silent.

"I'll explain in a minute," I told her quickly, "But I need Carlisle first," I sighed, glancing at Bella once again, looking over her damaged body. "He needs to see her." Esme gave me another look of concern and nodded, getting up to go and get him. Once she left the room, I continued to whisper comforting things to her.

"Ed–. . .Edwar–. . .d," She choked, blinking back more tears. I wanted to tell her that she could sleep, that everything would be better when she woke up, but those weren't guarantees. And how could I lie to her? Instead, I brushed away her tears gently with my lips.

"Shh," I whispered gingerly to her, "I'm right here. You're okay, Bells." I looked into her eyes; The chocolate depths in them were overwhelmingly comforting. "I've got you," I said with more confidence this time, "You're okay." I repeated.

Suddenly, Carlisle hurried into the room, a crease line between his two eyes. They made conact with mine for only a moment, before they became completely somber. He walked over to where we sat, kneeling on the ground before Bella and leaning over her. His wary eyes moved to Emmett's and Jasper's sweaty faces, and to mine once again. Esme hovered closely behind him.

"Edward," He told me, his voice serious, "You need to tell me what happened, so I know what to look for." His eyes stayed connected with mine, never leaving them. All of his wisdom, his compassion, completely showing through them. Before I had never really noticed or thought about it, but you can sure tell a lot by people's eyes.

I sighed. This was going to be a long night. I just wanted him to make sure she was okay. "Check her head," I told him, remembering watching her fall to the ground after being shoved into the wall. "And her arms and legs," I added quickly, uncomfortably shifting in my seat. It made me uneasy, even if it was Carlisle, that was fixing Bella. That was _my_ job.

He nodded, his eyes still questioning. In fact, everyone in that room's eyes were questioning. I had just noticed now that Alice and Rosalie had walked into the room, their faces grim. And then, it kind of just fucking came out. "Bella's dad, Charlie, abuses her." There were several loud gasps. "He has since she's been nine years old." It killed me to say it. Esme's hand clamped tightly over her mouth in shock, her eyes spilling over with tears. That killed me too. A fucking lot. I hated seeing my mom cry.

Carlisle's eyes snapped up to mine in shock as he gingerly pressed around on Bella's head. Her eyes had fallen closed and her breathing became more labored. I nodded solemnly to him in confirmation, and then brought my hands to the sleeves of Bella's shirt. Slowly, I rolled them each up, revealing every scar, cut, or bruise. His eyes widened, then slowly shut for a moment as he shook his head. "Holy shit," I heard Em whisper quietly from a few feet away. Alice was now silently crying too, her head rested on Esme's shoulder as they both stood there in remorse. They had nothing to be remorseful about.

Rosalie even looked sad. And that was really saying something, because it sure took a fucking lot to get any emotions out of Rose other than boredom. My eyes moved back to Bella's, her body shaking slightly in my arms. I didn't want to let go of her. I never wanted to let go.

After a few minutes of silence, Carlisle checking over the more recent injuries, his loud, pained sigh filled the room. "Well, as of now, the only thing she's really in danger of is exhaustion." For once, his face wasn't calm. "Her body's just had too much." He informed me quietly. I nodded, already knowing that. Of course I knew that. I had known all along. I was fucking stupid not to tell anyone sooner. Surely _this_ couldn't have been worse than Bella taking beating after beating. Each minute we spent here, the possibility that everything would be okay just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Since or couch was huge, both Carlisle and Esme sat down next to me. Esme on my right, Carlisle on my left. Bella stirred in my arms, the tears still slightly streaming out of her face. I was worried about my mom. Like I had said, I knew Bella was a daughter to her. Alice and Rosalie each sat next to Em and Jazz, as we all comforted each other.

"Edward," Carlisle told me in a stressed voice, "You don't need to tell me all of the details. I'm sure you and Bella will be able to in the near future, but for now, I would like to know what happened to night." I nodded in understanding. It was only fair I tell them the truth. I mean, I had been lying to them for the past two fucking months. That thought made me feel even shittier than I already did.

I sighed, not wanting to relive the memory. I stared ahead, not really talking to anyone in specific. "She told me she'd be alright," I whispered, my voice pained. "She said that, he was having a friend over, and that she'd be fine." I shook my head, letting out a hollow, humorless laugh. Esme wrapped her arm around my shoulder, comforting me and herself at the same time.

I turned to her, feeling my face get hot with fury. My voice went flat. "It was Phil." I told her, spitting the name like a fucking curse word. She looked confused. "Phil was the friend," I explained, my whisper rising with hysteria. Her arm suddenly became stiff around me, her eyes becoming frightened. "Mom, _he _was _there_." I gritted through my teeth. The tears in Esme's eyes became more as realization dawned on her. Carlisle was completely stiff next to me too. "He tried to rape her." I told them in a choked whisper, clenching my eyes shut at the mere thought.

I heard Alice gasp loudly, letting out a quiet, strangled sob. I opened my eyes and brought them back to the girl in my arms. This girl had changed all of us, and she didn't even know it. My eyes wondered back to Carlisle's, his face hardened. In a low whisper no one else could hear, he told me, "Your mom and I will explain everything to them later. About Phil, about everything." I nodded once, looking away. I didn't want them to know, I didn't want _anyone_ to know about my fucked-up past, but what choice did I have now?

Exactly. I had none.

I was out of options.

And more importantly, I was done lying to my family.

I continued on with the story from before. "We got there before he did anything major," I said, trying to calm myself. "Well, I'm not sure what either of them did _before_ we got there, but we got there before Phil could do anything like that to her." Thank fucking God. "There was a lot of fighting," I told them, skipping over the details. My voice became low and hard. "Her dad slammed her around pretty hard," I gulped, not willing to remember, "And we got her out of there right after."

I cradled her even tighter to my chest, reminding myself that she was here, and that she was safe. She always fucking _would_ be safe. From now on, I promised silently, I would never let any bastard get their motherfucking hands on her. I didn't care who they were, or who they _thought_ they were, they weren't touching my Bells.

Carlisle was now pacing around the room, cell phone in his hand. "Jazz already called the police," I informed him as Jasper murmured in agreement. He removed his phone from his ear for a moment, staring at the both of us skeptically.

"You mean, you called the police?" He asked. We both nodded. "You called them, and then _left_?" Jasper's face fell a little, but he nodded again. "So, you know, you never thought of the fact that Charlie Swan _being_ chief police, wouldn't be able to easily get out of something like this?" Jasper shot up in his seat, defending himself.

"I explained everything!" He crossed his arms, sounding pleased with the logic. I wasn't. I was starting to regret choosing Jasper to be the one calling them. I mean, that whole time, he had no fucking clue what was going on. Now was not the time to be pissed at him though. If anything, I should be kissing ass that he came with me. As strong as I might have been, there was no way in hell I would have been able to take on the two alone _and_ save Bella.

Carlisle on the other hand, didn't look too pleased. If anything, he looked even more stressed out than before. I felt pretty fucking bad for all of a sudden dumping all of these burdens on him. Great timing on my part, really. "Edward," He sighed, ignoring Jazz's apologetic expression. "I'm going to need to know a few more details if I'm going to turn this man, _both_ men into the police." He glanced around the room, shooting everyone warning glances. It was time for some alone time.

They all got up off the couch and silently walked out of the room. Alice was still leaning on Jasper's shoulder for support. Bella was her best friend. Once it was just Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and I, Bella stirred in my arms once more. I had thought she had fallen asleep, but I guess not. I stroked the soft, brown hair from her face, planting a light kiss on her forehead. Both parents looked proud, and tried to hide their satisfaction. Well, Esme didn't. If it weren't for the current situation, she would have been fucking glowing.

"Well, if this isn't already enough to get him a life sentence in jail," I gestured towards Bella's broken body, "Then I'm sure this will be." I paused, gouging their reaction and waiting if they were ready. This was going to be a shocker, _that_ was for sure. I remembered my first time hearing it, and remembered how I had almost fucking fainted. "He killed her mother." I clenched through my teeth, gripping Bella just a little tighter.

Esme gasped, her eyes becoming impossibly wider than they had already been. All of a sudden, she burst into tears again, "He killed her mom?" She barely whispered. She ran a hand gently through Bella's hair, looking down at her with affection. "You mean the poor dear hasn't had a mommy in this long?" I wanted to remind her that we were talking about a seventeen year-old girl, but didn't. I understood what she meant.

Carlisle rested his elbows on his knees, bending his face into his hands. He rubbed his temples, shaking his head. I could have sworn I saw him whisper a silent string of profanities. I was pretty positive that he didn't need to know anymore – well, not for now at least, but I felt the need to add in a few more things. Just to emphasize how fucking brutal the man had treated his daughter.

I rolled Bella's one sleeve up, even higher so that her arm was completely bare all the way up to her shoulder. The burn from hell scar was now flaunting itself on her arm, fucking taunting me. I couldn't even look at it. I gritted my teeth and turned back to Carlisle. "This," I spat, "Was when he burned her." All of a sudden, my voice raised. "He fucking _burnt_ her. A 'C', for _Charlie_." I finished bitterly, glaring daggers at that fucking thing.

"Good lord," I heard Carlisle mutter, getting a closer look to inspect it. I didn't know what he could do though, because what's done was done. "Have there been others like this?" He asked in a quiet tone, bewildered.

I nodded somberly. "He's done just about everything to her." My voice cracked with pain, and exhaustion. "He's locked her in a garage, a closet. He hits her, he kicks her." I hadn't noticed until now, but my voice was barely over a whisper. "He slaps her, he cuts her. _He burns her_." I finished flatly. And there I was, sitting in my parent's living room, wondering why the fuck I hadn't told someone about this earlier.

Realization suddenly dawned in Esme's now tear-free eyes. "That's why you always had her over," She thought out loud to herself, "That's why you'd always leave randomly sometimes, why you'd always be gone at the strangest hours." She mused to herself. I slowly nodded, feeling pretty fucking ashamed for lying, once again. I wondered how long this was going to eat at me.

Carlisle stood up once again. "Well," He sighed, looking at the three of us. "I better head over there, make everything right," He smiled grimly. "Edward," He looked at me, his eyes becoming full of compassion once again. "You take Bella upstairs, and the both of you get some sleep." I nodded, shooting a glance quickly to Bella, and back at him. "You've done the right thing tonight," He amended, sending me a half-smile. "Tonight, and the next couple of weeks, Bella will need you more than she ever probably has. Be there for her, son." I hated getting all fucking emotional in front of the both of them, but how could I not have? I nodded once again, blinking back damn tears in the process.

With that, he walked out of the room. It was silent for a few moments, before Esme broke it. "Baby, I'm so proud of you," She whispered to me, giving me a half hug without disrupting Bella. "The love you have for her is so pure, so raw. The intensity of it lights up a room." I smiled at her, appreciating her at trying to make me feel better. Maybe she wasn't saying it for that reason though, maybe it was the truth. "I've seen the way you look at her, the way you watch her." She rested an arm on my shoulder. "The relationship you two share is much more than that of a normal teenager, and way beyond your years." She told me genuinely, sounding pleased. "Cherish it."

And once again, all I could do was nod. Carefully, trying not to hurt Bella too much by moving her, I stood up. Keeping a tight hold of her in my arms, I headed for the door. Before I walked out of it, I turned to face Esme once again. "I love you, mom." I grinned at her. It may have looked broken, or pained, or shit, but it was as genuine as it could get at the moment.

She smiled back at me, nodding. "You too, honey, you too." She stood up as well, walking over to where I was standing. She leaned up a on her tip-toes, kissing my forehead. "Sleep," She ordered me softly, "Forget about all of your worries and stresses. You two deserve some peace, and we all will gladly give it to the both of you tomorrow." I gave her a look of gratitude, fucking loving the sound of some peace for once. "So just don't worry anymore." I nodded one last time, and walked out of the room.

I climbed the stairs, keeping her limp body securely in my arms the whole time. With my foot, I swung open the door to my room and shut it once we were inside. As I set Bella gently on my bed, her eyes fluttered open. They shot around the room frantically before focusing on mine. She sent me a small smile, then rubbed her eyes. They were red and puffy from all the crying she had been doing in the last couple of hours. Yet, she still looked like the most fucking beautiful girl in whole wide world.

"You're safe," I whispered to her, leaning in and lightly pressing my lips to hers for just a moment. "I'm going to change close, and then we can go to sleep." I told her, standing up. As I walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of boxers and an old holy t-shirt for myself, I heard her clear her throat from the bed.

"Can I borrow some clothes?" Her voice slurred with exhaustion. I stared at her for a moment, before she sent me a sheepish smile. "Jeans aren't very comfortable to sleep in," She explained to me. I nodded quickly, turning to go get something from Alice. She stopped me. "No, I want _your_ clothes." She told me. And even though I knew she didn't mean it, she sounded way too damn sexy for her own good.

We stared at each other for a moment, before I nodded and turned back around grabbing a set of make-shift pajamas for her. I found the smallest pair of boxers I owned, knowing they'd still be too big for her, and also retrieving an old band tee I never wore anymore. By the time I turned around again, she was already standing and heading toward the bathroom. I was afraid she'd loose her balance and fall, but she had been doing good so far.

I walked over and handed her the clothes, watching as she shut the door behind her. While she was changing, I quickly slipped off my jeans and shirt, throwing on my boxers and tee. I sighed quietly to myself. Normally, I never wore a shirt when I slept. I don't know, it just felt fucking weird. But I wasn't about to make things all awkward when we climbed into bed, so I figured shirt verses no shirt would be best.

A few minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, looking even more tired than when she had before. I wondered if that was even fucking possible. Silently, she walked over to the bed, pulling back the covers and snuggling right underneath them. I was about to join her when she stopped me. Her eyes became wide, and almost glass-like. "Can you play for me?" She whispered pleadingly, "I haven't heard you play in so long." Her gaze followed mine over to my guitar lying on the ground.

Since I'd basically give Bella whatever she wanted, I wasn't about to deny her this simple request. After the shitty day she had gone through, I really would do fucking anything to cheer her up. I nodded and silently reached over to retrieve it.

Before my fingers began to play, I turned to her. Once again, her eyes looked like glass. They looked vulnerable, and like those of a lost child. She just needed to be cared for for once in her life. "I love you," I told her, something I had a million times. It never felt like I said it enough. "Now I'll play," I told her, "You can go to sleep, sweetheart."

Before I knew it, chords and notes were strumming right out of my fingers, playing themselves. The song I had tried so hard to remember, so hard to play many times, suddenly just flowed out. It was the song that would play whenever I was with Bella. It was her lullaby. I listened to the notes, memorizing the sweetness of the simple music.

I knew that Bella realized this too. Her eyes became watery, though not because she was in pain. She smiled at me, a real smile, silently thanking me with her eyes for everything I had ever done for her. I wanted to tell her that there was no need for any of that, but I also didn't want to ruin the moment. I continued to play the soft notes that came out, hanging in the air.

I watched as Bella's delicate eyelids eventually fluttered closed. I kept playing for a few minutes, until I knew that she was completely asleep. Silently, I laid my guitar down on ground, pulling the covers over myself as well. Before I even needed to do anything, like magnets, Bella's head found my chest and nuzzled comfortably into it.

As it was the naturalist thing on the planet, I wrapped my arms around her, encircling her in my embrace. She fit perfectly, but that wasn't even a surprised to me. Her soft breathing only took a few minutes to completely knock me out.

For once, we were safe.

Not perfect, not healed, but completely content to have each other on whatever the journey ahead might be.

* * *

**Oh. My. Edward.  
This was by far the most emotional chapter I've written.  
I thought so at least. But whatever.**

**I promise you, all questions you have will most likely be answered in the next chapter.  
No, this was NOT the last chapter. I believe we still have a ways to go. I mean, we can't just leave them hanging like this. HELL NO!**

**Well, since I rambled enough at the beginning, I don't have much to say now.  
Other than feedback would be much appreciated. As I said before, one of my goals this story is to make it to a thousand reviews. Anyways. That's not the point.  
I seriously just love hearing your intake on what you thought the chapter was like, whether it's from a simple "amazing!" to a whole freaking page. (Heehee, Tash & Mary Beth)  
So yeah. Do it for Edward. He IS coming to your house, remember?**

_**Reviews are better than wearing Edward's clothes. . .NOT! But close(:**_


	23. The Riddle: Five For Fighting

**I'm sorry!  
It's late, I know. But. Better late than never, right?  
Meh. Please forgive me? begs with an *Alice pout* PLEASE?**

**The chapter's song is _The Riddle – Five For Fighting_  
I know it's not the same as my normal choices, but honestly, it's an incredibly cute and adorable song, and I found that over all, it fit the mood quite nicely. It's a very good E/B song, if I say so myself. So go. Listen to it, sweethearts. (Sorry if you don't like it!)**

**Just a huge shout out to everyone.  
I still can't believe I got this lucky with readers.  
All of you are more great than you know, and your reviews continue to touch me week after week. Thank you for that. Truly, you all are so loved by me, it's insane.**

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**BPOV**

My eyes fluttered open, trailing around the room. It was dark. I had the sense that I had been asleep for a while. Then, _oh_. Oh. Vague memories began flooding through my mind as I nuzzled my nose farther into my pillow. It wasn't a pillow at all though – it was far too comfortable. I inhaled deeply, shutting my eyes again. I tried thinking back even further to important events that may have happened.

Charlie.

Charlie and Phil.

Edward's _dad_ Phil.

Hitting. Fighting. Crying.

Explaining.

_Edward_.

Oh. The warmth and comfort flowing around me was suddenly identified. Edward was holding me in his arms. I had spent the night at his house, in his bed, with him. He had held me in his arms as I cried. He had wiped away all of my tears.

_He had saved me_.

I squeezed myself tighter to him, bringing one hand up to run through his messy hair. I heard his soft chuckle, smiling to myself. What time was it? How long had we been like this? What happened to Charlie after we left? My mind ran with so many questions, but my body had other plans.

Just now was I realizing the severe soreness covering my body. I vaguely remembered Carlisle saying something about me being okay for now. Even with the comfort of Edward's arms around me, I was starting to feel the pain again. It was the worst in my head, the pounding unbearable. Edward kissed my hair lightly, tightening his grip around me. I didn't move, not wanting this moment to be over so soon. Who knew how long this newly found freedom would last?

"Bella." He whispered softly against the skin on my forehead. For a moment, I couldn't help but smile into his chest. The pain tugging at my head brought me back to the present though, and I involuntarily groaned. He stiffened slightly, hearing me. When his green eyes finally met mine, they were troubled. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly, rubbing his thumb in circles on my cheek. I tried to sit up, but the damn headache wouldn't let me. Instead, I fell back into the pillows, moaning quietly again. His eyes grew anxious.

"It's just my stupid head," I sighed, shutting my eyes momentarily. "Just a bad headache." I didn't know which one of us I was trying to assure. My eyes continued to stay closed as I heard him sit up next to me. He kept one of his hands intertwined with mine, while the other stroked my forehead lightly. Magic fingers, that boy had. At the feel of his touch, the pain was momentarily forgotten.

But then his fingers moved away, and the throbbing began again. I clenched my teeth together, holding back another moan. He was already stressed enough as it was, I knew. I didn't need him worrying about me on top of all of this. He had other plans though. "I'm calling Carlisle," He told me, his voice low. "Now." I glanced around the room, still searching for a clock. Where the hell did he keep it?

"Wait," I protested, letting a quiet hiss escape my lips as I tried sitting up again. Bad plan. "Why would you do that?" I asked him, opening my eyes to meet his once again. "It's just a headache." I told him, "I get them all of the time." A few moments of silence passed before I quickly added, "What time is it anyways?"

"It's a little after eleven," He mumbled, distracted. I watched as he got off the bed, retrieving something. His phone. His eyes glanced back to mine, walking over and sitting next to me on the bed once again. He took my hand in his, kissing my palm lightly. "Bella," He stated, concerned, "Head injuries are serious things." His eyes shut momentarily at some memory. "I watched what he did to you last night." He told me, his voice twinged slightly with anger. His intense green eyes opened and darted back to mine. "And Bella, I can't loose you over something as fucking stupid as not taking you to the doctor's."

I knew he was overreacting just a little, but decided to humor him, nodding slowly. _Ow_. I cringed, blinking rapidly a couple of times. He dialed Carlisle's number, waiting for him to answer. I didn't want him too. I was still so confused, and hadn't gotten any of my answers yet. There were so many I had to ask.

I wondered about school for a moment. Is that where the other's were? Where was Esme? Gah. All my worried thinking was doing was hurting my head. "Carlisle?" Edward's voice was anxious. "Yeah, she's awake." He paused for a minute, "Yeah, that's what I wanted to ask you about." I stared at him, holding his one hand tightly in both of mine. I didn't like hospital's. In fact, I hated them.

"Well, listen," He said, far too worried to come off as calm. "Her head's hurting right now," He told him, and just at the mention, it throbbed even more. "Yeah, I think it's bad." He then went on to explain in minor details once again, how my father had slammed me into the wall. "See, that's what I was worried about. I don't think it's just a headache." He nodded to himself, focusing his eyes intently on my face. "Okay, I'll do that." He nodded once again. "Yeah. Okay, see you soon." He shut his phone, setting it down on the nightstand.

His voice went flat. "He thinks you have a concussion." From the pounding and ringing my head was now producing, I wasn't about to doubt him. Oh, wonderful. So hospital it was. I was just worried that they'd want to inspect other parts of my body. Study me, or whatever.

I fought a battle with my eyelids, trying to keep them open. Even with the twelve hours of sleep, I was beginning to get tired again. Edward helped me sit up, gently wrapped an arm around my waist. I rested my head on his shoulder, shutting my eyes. "I'm going to take you to the hospital," He told me. He saw the fear in my eyes as I looked up at him. "It's gonna be okay," He promised quietly. "No one will hurt you."

He released me for a moment, running into the bathroom to change clothes, quickly emerging no more than a minute later. I figured I wouldn't have the chance to change. That was okay with me. I liked wearing Edward's clothes. It made me feel like I belonged to him. _I did_. He had my heart, my soul. Everything.

Using his strong arms, he scooped me up, cradling me against his chest. It felt like he did that an awful lot lately. Letting my eyes fall closed, he carried me downstairs, out the door, and gently laid me in the passenger's seat of the Volvo. Not being an expert on head injuries, I fairly sure that you weren't suppose to fall asleep when you had one. For a second, I wondered why that hadn't affected me last night, but quickly also remembered something about effects not taking place until sometimes up to a day after the incident.

Once we pulled into the hospital, he quickly got out and walked around to open my door. As he was about to lift me up again, I protested. "It's okay," I told him, trying to sound sarcastic. My voice just came out as breathless. "I think I can manage walking fifty steps." He raised an eyebrow, about to protest. I pleaded him with my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to be carried in like a baby, making a scene.

Instead, he slipped an arm around my waist, subtly supporting almost all of my weight. Using all of my strength, I kept my head up and facing forward, starting to think that him carrying me again wouldn't have been such a bad idea. Too late now. A nurse opened the front door for us, sending Edward a warm smile. As incoherent as I was, I was surprised how observant I was being. _Mine_. I wanted to growl to her. _He's mine_.

Luckily, we didn't have to wait long. We didn't have to wait at all, actually. I shouldn't have been surprised to find Carlisle standing by the front desk, waiting. We walked up to him and the lady behind the desk. She was older, at least in her forties. "Nice to see you again, Edward." She smiled at him, shooting a friendly glance in my direction. I tried to muster one back.

Edward didn't waste any time with introductions though, or even hellos. Immediately, he turned to Carlisle. Carlisle turned to me. "Well, Bella," His eyes were sad. "How are you feeling?" What I wanted to blurt out was 'What happened to Charlie?', but all that came out was "I'm fine." Both him and Edward shot me disapproving looks.

I sighed, feeling the extreme weight from my head pound on me once again. "My head hurts," I told him honestly. "Really bad." He looked like he wanted me to say more. I bit my lip, knowing this would upset Edward. "Well, I can barely hold it up. Sometimes, there's ringing. And, it's like I'm feeling it happen all over again," Edward stiffened next to me. "My dad shoving me, I mean." I whispered, looking down.

Carlisle nodded, silently gesturing for me to follow him. I wobbled next to Edward, and once again, he held up my own weight for me. I had never had a headache this bad. Maybe I _did_ have a concussion.

We were led into a quiet room, a small hospital bed in the middle. I dreaded it. Those things were never comfortable. Not like I would know that much about them anyways, though. It's not like Charlie ever cared enough to take me to the hospital. I sighed quietly. Edward sent me a questioning glance, but I just shrugged.

He instructed me to lay down, telling me he'd send someone to my room right away. He also said a few things to Edward in a hushed manner, but I was too exhausted to pay any attention. Once he left the room and the door shut, I began to whimper. He pursed his lips, his eyes showing a great deal of agony. "Shh," He whispered, keeping hold of my hand and kneeling down next to me besides the bed. "I'm here, Bells, I'm here."

We silently stared at each other, deciphering the thoughts of the other's soul. Not long after, a nurse walked in the doors. She spotted Edward, chin resting on the bed, hand in mine, and smiled warmly at the both of us. She seemed friendly enough. Unfortunately, friendly or not, she was going to be the one fixing my head. As of now, it was only getting worse and worse.

Moving to kneel next to me – the opposite side from where Edward was – She brushed a strand of hair from my face. Edward tensed. "It's okay, sweetie." She told me, smiling. "A little medicine and some rest, you'll be better in the morning." I groaned eternally. _The morning_. That meant sleeping in the hospital all night. Why don't you just kill me now, huh, lady?

I nodded, trying to be brave for Edward. I knew any wrong thing this women did, and he'd have her head. I was also doing it for her, I guess. To spare any unnecessary head-ripping. I almost smiled to myself. The only emotion Edward's eyes were showing at the moment was concern. They were somehow deeper than that though. They were thoughtful.

"We're going to quick take your x-rays, okay, honey?" She smiled assuringly. I gulped and nodded. I didn't want to move. Edward remained at my side, still as a statue. "It's right down the hall," She urged, annoyingly pushy. "He can come with, if you'd like." She gestured towards Edward with a nod, winking. I wanted to roll my eyes.

A half-hour later, I crawled desperately back into that damn hospital bed, just anxious for some peace. Not even sleep. Just peace. A bunch of technical terms had been thrown out there, but over all, I was only diagnosed with a minor concussion. She gave me my medicine, letting me know I could sleep if I wanted. I was fine up until the part where she told me Edward had to leave.

I began whimpering, shooting him a panicked glance. He looked completely at ease, and even snorted quietly. "If you think I'm leaving," He told her, seriously, "You're fucking insane." I looked up at him adoringly. How the hell had I become so lucky? "I'm serious." He added, crossing his arms and plopping down into the chair next to my bed. She sighed, exasperated. She didn't want to deal with either of us, I could tell. She shook her head, giving up, giving us each disapproving looks before leaving the room.

Once the door closed, I smirked to myself.

"What?" He asked, kneeling next to my bed once again, chin resting on the mattress and looking up at me through his long lashes. It was ridiculous. They were longer than mine.

I smirked some more, letting out a tiny giggle. "This whole time," I smiled at him, "No one noticed that I was in your clothes." He made a big scene about rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

I reminded myself that important questions had yet to have been answered, and my serious face came back into play. He realized what was coming too, and his smile turned into a grim line. I didn't like the memories anymore than he did, but we'd have to get this over with eventually. I took a deep breath, "I think you already know what I'm going to ask. . ." I began, hoping he'd take over from there.

He sighed. "Yes, Bella," His eyes tightened a little, "I owe you a lot of explanations, don't I?" He asked, chuckling quietly to himself. "I've really fucked things up, huh?" He ran his hand through his hair, anxiously looking around the room.

And then, my jaw sort of just dropped, because how dare he think that? "You don't _owe_ me anything," I told him curtly, still not believing he was blaming himself for any of this. There was no one at fault here. My eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare blame anything on yourself again." I ordered, my voice final. He nodded sadly, his fingers playing with mine.

"Carlisle went over to your house," He said, keeping his tone steady, "Explained everything to the cops, all that stuff." I nodded; I was with him so far. "At the moment, Charlie's being held in questioning, then temporarily being put in jail until the trial." His face paled a little when he said this, scaring me. "Since he's a cop, even though we have the evidence right here," He poked my nose playfully, "It's going to be a little difficult proving him guilty." I nodded again, already knowing this as well.

What I couldn't believe, was that for the moment, I was actually free. From Charlie. Something I had always known to be impossible my whole life. Then, I wondered out loud, "What about _Phil_?" I asked cautiously, knowing how tense he got whenever I said his name.

"That fuck-up has been on the run from the police for years," He gritted through his teeth, "They were thrilled to find him there with your dad, and he doesn't even get to go through questioning." He stated flatly. "That fucker went straight to jail, where he _should_ be." _If looks could kill_, reminded me a lot of Edward's expression now.

I brought a hand to his cheek, stroking it softly. "That's great news," I whispered, "He'll never bug you again." He snorted at my choice of words. I laughed to myself, "I never thought that all of this would turn out easy. I was always so afraid." His eyes locked with mine, questioning them. I smiled assuringly at him, "Go ahead." I told him, "You can say it, you know."

He shook his head, refusing to ever be arrogant, even though I was allowing it. I _wanted_ him to rub it in my face that he had always been right. He _had_ been, so, so right. If only my damn mind-processing wouldn't have gotten in the way of logic, I could have been out of this mess ages ago. Or maybe not. Maybe it was just Edward. I smiled at him once again, silently thanking him.

Something about him looked uneasy though. My earlier words must've been bothering him. I waited for him to tell me what was wrong. After a few more moments of silence, he sighed, shutting his eyes. "That's the thing, Bells," He whispered. "It's _not_ going to be easy." His green eyes opened, penetrating into mine. "All of this shit is going to be _really_ hard." His words scared me. What more did we have to go through before everything was finally set right? "But I'm not going to give up. _None_ of us are going to give up."

Tears filled my eyes at the strength and courage his words gave me. He sounded so strong, so sure. I think I had just fallen in love with him all over again. Without words, he leaned in, gently laying his lips on mine. No tongue, no heavy breathing, just pure passion. It was so little, but yet, the most beautiful kiss he had ever given me.

No more than a minute later, he pulled away. "Do you have anymore questions?" He whispered anxiously, his face only inches from mine. I tried to think straight. It was hard when he was this close to me.

"What's going to happen to me?" I whispered to him, suddenly scared.

He stroked my cheek, gazing into my eyes adoringly. "You don't need to worry about that now," He reminded me softly. "For now, you're with us. You're with _me_. None of us will let anyone hurt you." He paused for a moment. "I'd go through hell and back for you, but you already knew that." He grinned, relieving the tension.

I was speechless, staring back at him like a love-struck puppy. _Pathetic, Bella_. My eyes watered up again, and I threw my arms around his neck. "I love you," I repeated over and over as I clung to him tightly. He hugged back, gently crushing me to him. I never wanted to let go, and hoped he'd grant me that wish.

Unfortunately, he had other concerns. "Your head," He reminded me, a slight hint of disappoint playing in his tone. Huh, maybe his wish had been the same as mine. "You should get some more sleep," He told me softly, "There's a lot more things we need cleared up once you're fully awake and alert." I groaned. Great.

"Stay." I mouthed to him, my eyes pleading. "Don't leave." I felt so helpless. If he left now, I knew it'd truly break me.

Without words, he stood up from the floor, silently ordering me to scoot over, crawling along side of me. I turned on my side, facing away from. His body pressed up tightly against mine, wrapping his arms around my waist, and holding both of my hands in his. His chin rested on my shoulder, and he nuzzled his nose into my hair. He planted a soft kiss right below my earlobe, and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."

I sighed contently in his arms, always happy to be held. "You know," He whispered into my ear, "They're going to castrate me if they come in and see us now." I lightly elbowed him in the ribs, shaking my head. Leave it to him to ruin the tenderness of the moment. "Hey!" He chuckled, "I'm just saying!" I rolled my eyes, scooting my back even further into his chest. I always like the feeling of security.

And then, I drifted.

_"It's okay, love," He whispered into the skin of my neck. "I won't hurt you."_

_Nervously, I nodded back at him, "I trust you," I told him honestly. I wanted this, and I was ready. My words were so true; There was no one other than Edward I'd trust with this. But it was Edward, and he was here now, with me._

_The cool, meadow breezes blew at our naked skin, sending shivers down my spine. I let my hair sway around me on the soft grass, not a care in the world. Slowly as ever, Edward began planting light kisses on every inch of my body. The thought of being completely naked in front of Edward should have intimidated me. It didn't though. There was no room in my body to feel self-conscious. Just pure bliss._

_After what seemed like ages, he was hovering over the top of me – his tip just barely grazing my entrance. My body trembled with anticipation as I restrained myself from throwing my arms around him. Patience was always the answer._

_Oh, fuck patience, I wanted him now. I threw my arms around his neck, shoving his warm body down on me. I gasped loudly, suddenly feeling him. All of him, inside of me. My mind immediately became clouded with foreign thoughts as I urged him on, loving that we could finally be together like this._

_That we were finally, truly one. . ._

_A perfect fit. . ._

"Bella!" I felt soft shaking, and heard my name being called. "Bells, wake up," I heard again. I fluttered my eyes open, staring at the room around me. For a moment, all I could concentrate on was my amazement of the dream I had just had. Words couldn't even describe, real or not, how I had felt. Blinking a couple of times, I focused in on Edward's face.

Not helping myself, I smiled at him, pulling him by his shirt collar down to me. I took his lips in mine, instantly relaxing. At first, he was hesitant and stiff, and not into it at all. I brought my other hand up, running it through his hair and lightly scratching his scalp. That got him – It always did.

Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat. Damn. We weren't alone, were we? I pulled back, staring into Edward's eyes, horror-struck. He smirked at me and stood up, standing next to my bed and straightening his shirt. I blushed furiously, staring down at the ground. I was afraid to look up and see who had just witnessed my total lack of self-control.

"Told you she's crazy about me," I heard Edward say smugly, and I could tell that he was smirking. "I'm considered family, aren't I?" I look up at him in time to see him flash a dazzling smile, showing all of his perfect teeth.

I chanced a glance at the other person in the room, slowly raising my eyes up to there's. A breath of relief instantly left me when I saw that it was only the nurse. Then, I blushed again, remembering the serious PDA I had just displayed. What was I talking about? I'd kiss Edward whenever I wanted. It's not like I'd ever see this woman again, right?

Her face was not pleased, crossing her arms and shaking her head at Edward. He just stood there, moving his eyes from mine to hers, looking all cocky. I rolled my eyes, wishing he'd not choose now to be Mr. Smart-Ass. They could make him leave, if they really wanted to. The thought hurt me, sending a small ache to my chest.

I read her name tag. _Jane_. Oh, Jane, please spare us. I wanted to shout to her, but didn't. I'd like to deep some dignity yet today, thank you very much. Ah, hell, what on _earth_ was I even talking about anymore. The three of us stood there in silence, waiting for the other to break it.

I stared at Jane. She was the nurse, wasn't she? _She_ was the one who was suppose to say something, _wasn't_ she? I was starting to get pissed. She sighed, shaking her head at Edward one last time, giving up the staring contest between the two. Edward smirked once again, smugly winking at me. "How's your head, sweetie?" She asked, attending me from the side of my bed. Her had rested on my forehead, checking my temperature. "It's good to wake you up every few hours," She explained, "Make sure you're okay and everything."

I nodded, noticing the slight change already. My head wasn't throbbing anymore. Sure, it hurt, but this was definitely a start. Couldn't I just go home and sleep? Couldn't Edward just take me out of this damn place? Where the hell was Carlisle when I needed him? "I feel better," I told her honestly. "I feel fine, actually." Okay, so I lied. Big deal. The only thing I wanted in that moment was to escape the prison walls of this God-forsake place.

I was being so melodramatic lately. I blamed it on the medicine they gave me.

Edward's eyes flashed to mine, looking disapproving. I gave him a look back, telling him to go with it. I know he cared about me, and wanted me to feel better, but I also knew he wanted to get out of here as badly as I did. It was necessary to stay here any longer. If I wanted to sleep, I could do somewhere else. With Edward. I smiled to myself – Nice compromise.

Jane looked at me, confused. "Are you sure?" She asked, feeling my head once again. "You're really feeling better already? You only had a few hours of sleep. . ." She trailed off, suddenly glaring in Edward's direction. He raised both his hands in the air with a look of surprised innocence. "I am not letting you out of here _early_ so you can go and make-out with _him_." She shot daggers in his direction. I felt the red creep up my face in a hurried manner. I didn't like Jane. At all.

I wasn't giving up that easy though. If Edward had taught me anything – which he had – it was to stay strong. Don't back down. _Watch this, Edward,_ I wanted to say, _Watch me make you proud_. I gave her a huge smile, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "Well," I told her, my voice sounding confident. "For your information, I _do_ feel fine. _Not_ for your information, I _will_ do whatever I want to my boyfriend without your consent." I shot him a grin. He rolled his eyes. "If you excuse me though, I would like to speak to Carlisle Cullen. I think he will have different ideas about me leaving early."

Take. That. Bitch.

She stared at me in shock. I just smiled at her, sitting up in my head and leaning my back against the cold, hard wall. Out of Jane's view, Edward shot me double thumbs up, smiling so widely, I thought his face might break. I winked at him, sending him a small smile of my own.

I figured I had already won this battle. After a few moments, I was right. She sighed, giving up. "Very well." She told me, looking sternly into my eyes and adding. "_But_, don't come crying to me when your dumb-ass boyfriend knocks you up."

As she got up and left the room, both of us held in our giggles, biting down on our lips. I think I almost drew blood. Once the door was closed and we listen to her heels click away, we both burst out into extremely loud fits of laughter. It felt so good to laugh.

"I swear, Bella," He choked out between laughs breathlessly, "I have condoms. No baby's comin' out of that pretty little belly of yours just yet, I swear." I just about died of giggling right then.

After another minute straight of laughing, I could hardly breathe. Apparently, neither could he. Serves him right, I thought smugly. If it wasn't for his incredibly large ego, I wouldn't have had to save both of our asses. For all I knew, we could have been in here until next week. Strangely, I loved his incredibly large ego though. It was a side I had never seen of him. Sure, I'd seen happy, joking Edward, but never like this. Now, having nothing to worry about, he could really let go completely.

I mean, yeah, it'd get annoying as hell to me after a while, but as long as my cocky Edward was here, might as well enjoy him. Didn't I always?

After getting a hold of himself, he approached the bed, a large smile still plastered on his face. In that moment I didn't think anything could brake his. Or mine. He sat next to me on the bed, holding my hand and talking to me about silly nonsense. A few minutes later, Dr. Cullen walked into the room, completely at ease. They must've already filled him in.

"Good afternoon, you two," He nodded at us, walking over and pulling out a chair alongside my bed. "Bella, you look better already," He informed me right away. I smiled at him and nodded, confirming his statement. "See, I knew you would be fine," He went on, "But head injuries are so crucial. It's always better to be safe than sorry. You just got lucky, I guess." He finished, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile.

"She can get out of this damn place then, can't she?" Edward asked, always impatient. "I mean, if she's really okay, there's no point in having her stay here." He told his father, "I mean, I've got a warm bed at ho–. . ." He trailed off. Yes, good boy, Edward. _Stop talking_. Good plan. Carlisle hid his feelings on the subject, only showing a calm look in his eyes.

"Yes, she is fine," He told him, and me, I guess. "And yes, she can go straight back to our house, _but_," He paused, a crease line forming on his forehead. "There's more you should know." We both waited. "Bella's going to have to come back here," He said grimly, "And soon. There are too many wounds on her body, old or not, that need to be looked at. I know that's not what either of you wanted to hear, and I'm sorry for that, but it needs to happen." Then, he quickly added, "I can hold them off for a week or so, so don't worry."

Don't worry? _Ha, fat chance_. Edward's eyes were thinking the same thing.

"I understand," I told him quietly. I may not have liked the idea, but I understood that it was necessary. Plus, I carried with me the fact that I'd have Edward with me the whole time. That immediately made the idea sound more appealing. I gave Carlisle my gratitude. "Thank you, Carlisle, for everything you've done. For everything your family's done. You all have been far too kind to me. I appreciate all of your love and care more than you know. Thank you." I shut up. I was babbling. I hoped Edward knew that these words were directed to him also.

"Bella," He sighed, smiling at me. "Don't you even worry about it. I'm sure by now, you know how fondly my whole family thinks of you." I blushed, feeling far more significant than I ever had. "Thank you for being apart of our lives." Just like what Edward do. Leave it to him to turn the tables on me completely.

"I will sign you out, Bella," He told me, standing up from his chair and walking to the door. He turned to Edward. "Take her home. If she wishes, or you feel it's necessary, have her get some more sleep." He nodded, not breaking eye contact from him. "There are still some things that need to be settled, and conflicts that may arise, but nothing that we can't work through. Let _me_ take care of all that, please." Again, he nodded without arguing. "Everyone's waiting at home for the both of you. They've been anxious." Carlisle informed us with a smile, leaving it at that and walking out the door.

After he left, Edward anxiously turned to me. "You ready?" He asked, my favorite smile of his coming into play. "Unless, of course, you'd rather have _Jane_ keep you company than me." He said her name like a curse word. "Fucking bitch," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Well, you know. . ." I began, "She _is_ very opinionated, and I'm sure would be very interesting to listen to." I smirked at him, "I mean, your kind of boring to listen to all of the time, you know? Edward this, Edward that." He playfully narrowed his eyes at me, pretending to glare. His hands moved to hover about each side of my stomach.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You wouldn't." I warned, almost growling it.

He leaned his face closely to mine, only inches away. I was expecting a kiss, or some cute, romantic response. Instead, he quickly pulled his face away and responded, "Pay back's a bitch, Swan." Then, that boy had the nerves to tickle me. In a hospital bed. With the door open.

His fingers frantically moved up and down my sides, making me squeal with laughter. I pleaded for him to stop through my laughs, fearing someone would hear us. I sure as hell didn't want Jane coming in here again for another public display of affection. His cocky smirk remained on his face the whole time, and I knew he was loving the way I was laughing.

Finally, when my eyes were full of tears, and my stomach ached from laughter, he quit. Very lightly, he pressed his lips to mine and pulled away, kissing my forehead too. His hot breath blew in my face. "Am I forgiven?" He asked, grinning.

I crossed my arms, pretending to be angry at him. I didn't last long. A smile spread across my face and I nodded, giving in way too easy. The moment his eyes met mine, all of the humor suddenly disappeared. His green eyes stared intently into mine, studying me. They were so deep. So beautiful. I soon felt myself getting lost in them.

Without saying anything, either of us, we had just exchanged a silent conversation. Actions spoke so much louder than words, and for us, our eyes always screamed and gave us away. I had been giving him all the adoration and appreciation I could in my eyes. He had been doing close to the same.

Suddenly, without warning, he scooped me right off the bed and into his arms. He held me even tighter when I tried to protest, claiming that we'd look ridiculous. His response had been, "No, we'd look _in love_." And then, I couldn't argue any more, because everything in my body turned to mush.

I held on to him contently as he carried me through the halls, wearing a huge smile on his face the whole time. Of course, he glared at every male in the building, but then again, that was just Edward. I blushed the whole time, not making eye contact with anyone. Sure, he could carry me through the whole hospital, but did he really expect me to smile and way at everyone we passed by? Well, I didn't.

The last person we passed as we walked out the doors was none other than Jane herself. She was standing near the door, an extremely irritated expression crossing her face. Right as we walked past her, Edward stopped. He leaned his face down to mine, giving me a big wet kiss. When he pulled away, his eyes were gleaming.

He smirked at me, then at her. Louder than necessary, he told me, "Well, Bella, I say we go home right now, so I can knock you up. Are you game?" I giggled loudly, holding onto him even tighter. I got one last look at Jane's face as we left, and if I thought it had looked pissed before, words couldn't describe how it looked now. Her face of irritation would put Rosalie's to shame any day. I smiled and waved at her through the windows.

Edward drove home in an insane hurry, speeding like a maniac. He assured me that this was how he always drove. Of course, I already knew that though. Either way, it still scared that crap out of me. He held my hand the whole time, while keeping the other on the steering wheel. The comfortable silence between us was never awkward.

He pulled into the driveway, turning off the car and helping me out of my side. I wasn't protesting when he acted like a gentleman, I _never_ did, but you'd honestly think I was handicapped or something. I fell down a lot. Maybe that counts?

As soon as the door was open, I was met by aggressively tight hugs. I recognized Esme's perfume she always wore, and hugged her back genuinely. I heard her sniffle a few times, causing me to as well. She was the closest thing to a mom I'd ever have. After forever, she released me, dabbing at her eyes a bit. "Oh, Bella," She whispered to me. "Sweet, sweet, Bella. . .You are _home_."

If I wasn't crying before, I was now. I don't think any three words had ever been so appealing. Well, wait. Okay, they were the _second_ most three appealing words I had ever heard. I just smiled back at her, unable to form words.

Next, I was met by Alice who practically jumped into my arms. I eagerly hugged my best friend back, welcoming her kind embrace. After only a little over a day, I had forgotten how much I appreciated her. Just like Esme, I heard Alice's sniffles, causing my eyes to water once again. I loved this family so much.

After Alice and I were done hugging, Rosalie's sad face met mine. She surprised me by holding her arms open for a hug. It was more than Rose could ever give to me. I gladly returned the embrace, knowing how she was always so hesitant to show affection, other than Emmett, of course. "Welcome back, Bella." She whispered into my ear before releasing me.

Greedy Edward apparently wanted me back though, and there were no more hugs for the moment. His arm wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me snuggling against his side.

We spent the rest of that night all just talking and watching movies. Sometime in the middle of a conversation, both Em and Jazz came running into the room, each bear-hugging me at the same time. I was surprised they didn't squeeze my guts out. Edward had warned them about my head, for the hundredth time, but I just told them to ignore him.

When I began to yawn again, Edward wasted no time in bringing me up the stairs and into his bedroom. I assumed it was still okay to be sleeping in the same bed with him, considering Esme or Carlisle had never said anything in protest. Just like the night before, only being more alert this time, the both of us changed into our pajamas; _Edward's _pajamas, and crawled into bed together. I loved the feeling of being in his clothes, though I'd never tell him that in a million years. Too embarrassing.

I didn't ask him to play again like I had last night. For now, I just wanted to hold him. I wanted to _be_ held. He gladly answered my request, scooping me up and pulling the covers over both of us. His arms formed iron cages around me, protecting me. We didn't spoon like last night, though the position had been very comfortable. Tonight, we just held each other. No kissing, no touching. Just appreciation for the other.

I tried to stay awake for as long as possible, wanting the moment to last forever. I reminded myself that tomorrow, school would be a whole different story. Before I began to get too worried, I drifted to sleep peacefully, once again, in Edward's arms. . .

* * *

**Okay, if that wasn't fluffy enough for you, why don't I throw a goddamn pillow at your face? How about that? EAT THE FLUFF!  
Okay, okay. Just kidding. I get crazy after finishing a chapter, I guess.  
So yeah, I guess the main point of this chapter was to show that even after all they've been through, both of them are completely head over heels for the other.**

**I promise to try and have the next chapter posted earlier than this one.  
I apologize for that once again, okay? Sorry.**

**So yeah, there's going to be school drama in the next chapter, hadn't you taken my earlier hint.  
You know, what happens may surprise you. Well, never mind, it may not. Who knows?  
Also, there's probably gonna be a little Carlisle POV next chapter.  
Yeah, I'm serious.  
Oh yeah, and I'll answer more of your questions on Charlie in the next chapter. Along with Phil too, I guess.**

**So yeah, basically your reviews are my personal brand of heroine.  
Each and every one of them, they're like a drug to me.  
Meh. Edward sounds better saying it, I know. BUT. It worked pretty well, right?  
For now, my lovelies.  
--Justine.**

**_Reviews are better than Jane's bitter attitude!(:_  
**


	24. Dare You To Move: Switchfoot

**Ah, you guys spoil me.  
Really, I love you all too much.  
Yeah, I say it a lot. But it's true.  
Give yourselves all pats on the back.  
YOU WINNERS.**

**This chappy's song is** _**Dare You To Move – Switchfoot**_**  
Well, I say this about just about everything song, but seriously. THIS SONG IS GORGEOUS.  
It really fits Bella in this chapter, as you will soon find out.  
So yeah. Go listen now, m'dears.**

**Please, review.  
That's all I ask. :D**

* * *

**CPOV**

I pinched the bridge between my eyes, shaking my head. Esme was sitting at my side as I held her hand in mine. This was going to be difficult for her. We were going to need to be as honest as possible with them, and that would mean reliving the memory. I gave it a assuring squeeze.

Edward had just taken Bella upstairs, the both of them going to bed. A part of me felt uneasy about their current sleeping conditions, but the other part wanted to believe in Edward, and trust that he wouldn't do anything wrong. He was really a good kid, if he cleaned up his mouth a bit from time to time.

Only a few minutes ago, we had called Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice into the room. It was time for them to know the truth. Earlier that day, Edward told me that he also felt the same way. He told me it was time to tell them, and Esme and I agreed completely. The only thing he didn't want, was to be there for the conversation.

I assumed that Bella already knew all of the details about his past, due to how close the two were. It still amazed me, the way he looked at her, the way he watched her. I had never been so proud in my whole life. The maturity the two held in the relationship each shared was unseen.

When Edward and Esme first joined our family, I had been worried about him. I always worried about him, for fear that he was putting too much weight on his shoulders. I knew he burden himself for the things that had happened; for the things he couldn't have controlled. But not, to seem him with her – to see the sparkle of happiness in his eyes. I couldn't have been more thrilled. Bella was perfect for him.

Before we had moved here, he had been a player. I hated seeing him that way, knowing the reasoning behind it. Woman after woman, he would bring home; a different each day. After what had happened to him, I knew he had only been trying to prove himself. Prove himself that it was possible to be with a girl the right way. I thanked God that he finally got over that phase, because it had only sunken him into a deeper depression.

"I'm not going to lie to all of you," I sighed, beginning a long, painful process. "This is a story that one shudders to even think about." They were all staring at me, intently listening. "You don't know this," I said grimly, "But Edward's lived through the worst part of hell and back." Esme nodded sadly to all of them, confirming it.

"Please though," I continued. "After hearing this, none of you must treat Edward differently. What happened to him, was beyond his control. His life was constantly at stake, and his only choice was to obey." I knew I had lost them already. "Please," I asked again, "Just remember, he's the same Edward we love."

I turned to both Emmett and Jasper first. "Charlie Swan's friend, Phil," I told them, keeping a calm tone in my voice. "Is Edward's father." Both sets of eyes widened, along with the girls' as well. Esme stiffened slightly, hearing those words. I hated to hurt her by saying it.

"Phil was Esme's husband, now her _ex_-husband," I heard her quiet intake of breath. I wanted to tell her that it was okay for her to leave if this was too hard for her. No, that would be wrong though. This wasn't my story to tell.

"What happened to him," Alice asked in a worried whisper, "But happened to Edward?" I knew this news would upset Alice the most. Her and Edward had always shared a special bond; That of a brother and sister. This would break her heart. She was one of the most caring people I'd ever known.

"You see," I replied sadly. "Edward's father, Phil, never loved him." I gripped Esme's hand tighter in my own, hoping to somehow comfort her. "He never wanted a child. Throughout Edward's childhood, hatred was always Phil's number one priority to give him." I was right; Alice's eyes immediately saddened. I hadn't even began the worst part yet. I was beginning to fear that this was not such a good idea after all.

"Many times," I took a deep breath. This next part was hard. "Esme wanted a divorce. He refused, sometimes even threatening her." I heard Esme sniffle next to me quietly. Stay strong, I thought silently to her.

There would be no need to linger on any details. I would tell them the minimum, yet, enough for them to know the whole story. For Edward's sake, I wouldn't go into anything to deep. Once again, this wasn't my story to tell.

"At the age of thirteen," I told them, "Edward was forced into a life no one should have to live." Everyone remained silent, not saying a word. "Phil no longer had a job, and needed to find a way to make money. His dark ways caused him to pull Edward into the darkness as well." I hated to admit it to myself, but I was stalling. Really, I think we all wanted to get this over with and be done. I continued on.

"One night," I recalled, remembering the story from a crying Esme. "He took Edward to a club. He took him outside, and pointed a gun at his head, threatening to take Edward's life." I could now hear Esme silently crying besides me. I wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulder. Taking another steady breath, I went on. "His methods of getting money were cruel. He got Edward to sleep with woman for money. Lots of money. Most of the time, it was more than sex though. These women had problems. They often would hurt him."

Alice gasped loudly, eyes widening in shock. "But, he was only thirteen!" She choked, as tears began to fill her eyes. Both Emmett and Jasper were looking down at the ground with grim faces. Rosalie looked shocked.

"Yes, Alice," I sighed. "He was very young. These women though, they didn't care about age. As long as they got what they wanted." I shut my eyes for a moment, shaking my head. "Edward could never refuse. He had no choice, if he wanted to keep his life."

"He kept it from his mother, as well, because at the time, he was scared and didn't know any better." My voice remained even and emotionless. "One night, Edward finally had enough. On the night of his fifteenth birthday, he finally told Esme." I gave Esme a gentle squeeze, assuring her once again, this was the past we were talking about.

I beamed at my wife. "Esme was very brave," I told them all. "She had the courage to stand up to him, and get herself and Edward out of that terrible situation." Once again, I was editing. I did not tell them how hard it had been for her, but I figured the fact was obvious. "They made a compromise." I stated, "Once they got a divorce, if Esme got full custody of Edward, she wouldn't turn Phil in for the things he had done."

He was in jail now though. Apparently, he had been on the run for a long time. Very briefly at the hospital earlier that day, while Bella was sleeping, Edward had told me about Phil's little visit to him. We both chose to keep this information from Esme, not wanting to worry or scare her. I admired how much Edward cared for his mother.

I placed a smile on my face. "So all of you know what happens next, I assume." Esme got her happily ever after. At least, that's what I _hoped_ we were providing her. I'd never met such a gentle soul, and knew from the first moment I met her, that she would be the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I thought about that for a moment. I wondered if that's they way Edward thought of Bella. . .

At my side, Esme became more relaxed. Her tears disappeared, and small smile fleeted her lips. I looked around the room, studying the faces around me. The faces of my family. Shock was still the main factor playing into each of their expressions, but there was also pain and sadness.

"After he moved in with us though," Alice asked, pondering out loud. "All of those girls–. . ." She trailed off in questioning.

"He was with by choice." I finished her sentence firmly. I didn't agree with it, but I had always known the reasoning behind his actions. I also was not upset with him; Could I have expected anything more after what he had been through? No. I would never be that hard on him.

I wasn't going to talk about Edward's love-life. That was completely private, and personal, and I would never betray his trust like that. Also, I don't even think I knew where to began. "In time, those are all questions you will have to ask Edward himself. I do not wish to touch on a subject so personal." She nodded solemnly, "But, remember, he's been broken so many times. Please, don't make it worse. He already has so much to deal with about Bella. Don't burden him anymore than necessary."

All heads in the room nodded in agreement. I was glad I got my point across clearly. If he wanted to answer their questions, I wouldn't stop him. I just knew if they asked them to him, it really would upset him. I knew how he was. Even though we weren't related, often times he reminded me of what I was like in my longer years.

"That is all." I finished quietly. I was going to touch more into the subject of Bella, but decided another night would be better for that. There was only so much sorrow you could tell people at the same time. I'd also give Bella the choice if she wished to be here or not for it. Seeing how immune she was to pain, I guessed she'd rather talk about it then have me share vague parts of her story.

The trial that would soon be coming, now that was a different story. She would have to go to that, no matter what. Fork's was a small town for such a large case, and I knew how these things worked. They'd want to move it to a bigger city, or even bigger state. Thinking to myself now, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea to have Edward go.

I knew he'd disagree, and would never listen to me, but I just felt that it was the right thing to do. Bella would sure need moral support, a lot of it, along with comfort and security. Even though I knew Edward could giver her all of the above, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Cases like these, if you threw romance in there, in favor of the pity-side, they would assume that the whole case was biased and based on the opinion of others.

As wrong as it was, I knew that that the media would jump all over the two of them, and I didn't want either of them to ever have to deal with that kind of pressure. If I told Edward my reasonings behind not letting him go, he'd probably understand to a certain point, yet still not agree. I wondered if I should even waste my breath trying.

No, I had to. This was such a serious case, and if we didn't win, hell would most definitely be paid. That's why I needed Bella focused one hundred percent on everything she needed to do. Everything she needed to say needed to be perfectly practiced and rehearsed, and all of us needed to be prepared for anything.

That was enough thought for one night though. Lingering on negatives was never a good way to jump into something. We were dreading in deep waters, and I knew it'd only be a matter of time before our life-rafts showed up. . .

**EPOV**

"Will you please stop worrying?" I huffed, "Every thing's going to fine." At least I sure as hell hoped so.

She sighed sadly. "But, Edward," Her tone was afraid, "Every time the TV's flipped on to a news channel, _I'm_ there. I've already heard people talking about it." Okay, not_ every_ channel, Bella, I wanted to tell her. Just the major ones in the area. Oh, shit. She was right.

"Tell me who's ass you want kicked, and I'll do it," I told her simply. "No one's going to mess with you. I promise." Now there was a promise I _could_ keep. Although, she still hadn't mentioned anything regarding the promise I had broken before. Maybe she didn't care. I smiled to myself at the thought of not being chewed out by her. Angry Bella was scary sometimes.

"You can't protect me forever, Edward," She rolled her eyes, voice dripping with irritation.

"And why not?" I crossed my arms. Why were we having this fucking discussion? I didn't want to argue with her anymore. Hadn't it been just yesterday that I had carried her out of the hospital bridal style, after telling her I'd knock her up? Where was _that_ Bella? The funny, carefree girl I loved.

I understood her dilemma, I really did. I knew Carlisle had told everyone about me last night. I was just a scared to face my family as she was to face her classmates. I didn't tell her that though, because I knew by telling her my fears, they'd only fuel her's.

"Because," She sighed, "We're not always going to be together." Try me, I wanted to smirk. "I mean, what if I have a class without you today?" She tested, "Which I _do_."

I narrowed my eyes at her slightly. So she was _trying_ to pick a fight? Is that what this was about? God, why couldn't I just have all of the answers for her like she needed? I didn't. I wanted to flat out tell her that, so I did.

"Look, Bells," I tried to soften my tone. "I'm not always gonna be there, I'll give you that," Her lips remained pursed as she stared me down. "_But_, you've grown so much, and you don't even realize it. You don't need me all of the time anymore. You've learned to protect yourself." I sat down on the edge of my bed, holding my arms open for her. With a few moments of hesitation, she slowly climbed into them, folding herself into my chest.

"Remember yesterday?" I asked her, pulling her face back so that I could see her eyes. "With Jane?" She nodded slowly. "_That_ is what I'm talking about. You stood up to her. You don't even realize what a brave move that had been." She grimaced at me, and I continued on. "I mean, sure it wasn't the hugest thing in the world, but it was still _something_."

I took her face in my hands as chocolate stared back at me. "You _can_ do this." I promised her, sealing it with a kiss to start the day. After that conversation, she hadn't voiced any more worries that morning.

That was, until we got into the car at least. Then, the fucking nervousness came back. I swear to God, if there was one emotion I could get rid of, it would be _that_. I mean, forgive a guy for trying to have a pleasant morning. Her mood was _really_ killing my buzz. I was happy when I woke up. Sue me.

"Are you sure I can do this?" She asked suddenly, right after we got into the Volvo. I debated a moment on whether or not I should even answer her. I glared through the windshield, not making eye contact. I gave her a swift nod, a pulled out of the drive way. She just had to forget about it, was all. I mean, what would be so different today than any other normal day?

I had already had to endure the stares from Em, Rose, Jazz, and Alice. When I had walked down the stairs with Bella, all I got was awkwardness. Complete, utter awkwardness. I had wanted to fucking scream. They could have at least acted a little more oblivious to my horrible past.

The whole car ride remained silent, but I could basically hear Bella's rapid heart beat from sitting next to her. I tried holding her hand, stroking soft circles with my thumb to calm her down. That didn't even work. I didn't even think at this point _kissing_ would even work. Fuck, that was just. . .messed up.

You never doubted kissing.

It was the answer to _everything_.

Everything.

When I parked the car and turned off the ignition, I turned to face her and sighed. She was far too tense to do anything right now. We weren't leaving this damn car until I got some confidence out of her.

"Promise me something," I whispered, holding her gaze without skipping a beat.

"Okay," She answered automatically, looking confused.

"You're not going to worry anymore," I stated as an order, _not_ a question. "Charlie's not hear. In fact, he's locked up right now. He couldn't be hear even if he wanted to." I added in a lower voice. "Bella, I meant what I said when I told you that nobody was going to hurt you. Meant it with my fucking heart, okay?"

She began to protest, "But, it's not Charlie I'm worr–" I cut her off abruptly.

"The kids at school?" I grimaced at her, "Are you serious?" My attempt at lightening the mood failed completely. Epic fucking fail. She stared at me, not changing her expression. _Fuck, she was serious_. "Bella." I said, shutting my eyes, "What will be so different? What are they going to do or say that they haven't already? You're too good for them. Don't let that shit get to you."

I opened my eyes back up to meet hers. The nervousness was still there, but I could of sworn I saw a spark of confidence in them. Good enough for me. Plus, I couldn't be late to class again; Detention + Edward did _not_ mix. I'd rather stick pins up my ass. Okay, scratch that. But still. Detention _sucked_.

"I love you," I reminded her seriously, kissing each of her cheeks tenderly. I went for the cheeks because last time we made out in the Volvo, my erection lasted the whole fucking school day. I sure as hell wasn't going to go through _that_ again.

Hand in hand, we walked through the school doors, and up the stairs to biology. It was kind of amazing that we happened our first class of the day happened to be together. I guess someone up there _did_ love me. _Keep telling yourself that, Edward_, I thought hopelessly.

We took our seats surprisingly early; The room hadn't even filled half-way yet. I pulled out Bella's chair for her to sit down – nothing new – and took my own. This gentlemanly shit had really grown on me.

I was about to start talking to Bella, when a girl approached the two of us. Well, Bella, mainly. I didn't recognize her, but then again, I didn't pay attention to most of the kids here anyways. They were all greedy bitches anyways; sucking whatever life and happiness Bella had in her away. My thoughts were becoming dramatic, and that was really starting to say something. I told my head to shut the fuck up as well, only focusing on the nervous face of the black-haired girl before us.

"Um, hi, Bella," She began nervously, "Edward," She nodded at me. I just stared at her, keeping my mouth mashed into a hard line. I couldn't help it. People pissed me off. It was completely unexpected when Bella responded.

"Hey, Leah," She hesitated, biting her lip. I swore, if that bitch said _one_ wrong thing, I would screw her. And _not_ in the good way. In the, 'you-really-shouldn't-have-fucking-done-that-now-I'm-going-to-make-your-life-hell' way.

"Listen, Bella," Leah also bit down on her lip. I could tell this conversation was incredibly awkward for _both _parties. "I'm really sorry about what happened," She paused, "With your dad, you know. . ."

Bella shocked me as she sent Leah a huge, warm smile. I stared at the both of them, refraining from gaping. "Thanks," Bella mumbled, blushing and looking down at the desk. "I really appreciate it," She added quietly. Were girls really this easy at apologies? Well fuck me dry, you learn something new everyday.

"No problem," Leah smiled back. "I guess I'll see you around?" She asked hesitantly. Bella nodded happily, and went back to organizing her notes. Leah smiled at me, "You too, Edward." And then, I sort of had to just smile back a little, because when someone was _that_ nice to Bella, I had to be nice back.

The whole class was quiet work-time, finishing up any work from the previous week. Throughout the whole class, two different girls and a guy came up to our desk, having a similar conversation like Leah. At this point, nothing surprised me anymore. Bella was right – the news _was_ a powerful thing. Well good, I thought. Then she wouldn't have to waste her fucking breath explaining anything. She didn't deserve this in the first place.

The only problem I had with said condolences, was this asshole named Marcus. He had walked up to our desk, looking all smug and shit. I hated him right away. I mean, sure, his words had been kind, but there was _more_ than just kindness he had on his mind.

"Hey, Bella," He said smoothly, "Sorry about what happened." She nodded, and I could tell that he was making her uncomfortable. Hurry the fuck up, dickhead, I thought impatiently. "Listen," He winked at her. I tensed up. "Why don't you come have some fun with the guys and us sometime?" He asked, slipping an arm around her shoulder. I glared fucking daggers at it. Bella shook it off though, with more discomfort in her expression.

"Um, no thank you," She told him quietly but firmly. She shot me and adoring look, then looked back at his disappointed expression. I shot him a smug grin, wrapping _my_ arm around Bella's shoulders. Take that, asshole. "Thanks, Marcus." She called sincerely as he walked away.

After Marcus, I glared at any guy who even _thought_ about approaching our table. I knew I was being possessive and shit, but for anyone other than our concern, Bella was _off_ the market.

The bell for the end of class finally rang, and we both made our way to the door. I had asked her what her next class had been earlier, and basically wanted to sing a fucking song when she told me it was her art class. Emmett would take care of her; I knew it. My only concern was the bitch-fest _in_ her art class. Mallory and Stanley. I couldn't even _think_ their names without fucking cringing.

Sure enough, we met Emmett at the door of the classroom. He had a big smile on his face, and stole Bella away from me for another hug. She giggled breathlessly as he squeezed way too tight. I shot him a warning glance, but he ignored me as usual. "Hey Bella-boo," Emmett grinned at her widely, ruffling her hair. I smirked, glad _he_ thought of it and not me. Bella playfully grimaced and gently shoved him in the arm. I wanted to tell her not to hold back, but thought better of it.

I planted a quick but passionate kiss on her full lips before walking away to my own class. I was confident that she'd be okay, yet I couldn't help but feel anxious to see her again. After this was lunch, and I knew that there'd probably be some surprising events when lunch rolled around.

Sooner than expected, it did. I rushed out of that room and straight towards the cafeteria, praying with all my fucking might that I wouldn't find Bella in tears. As soon as I entered through the doors, my eyes darted to our table.

There she was, smiling and laughing with Alice and Rose. A grin instantly spread across my face, and I was completely relieved. I quickly got my lunch and made my way over to the table. As they had been the whole morning, there were still a load of people staring at me, looking a skeptical and shit. I hated it, but easily ignored them.

Kissing her playfully on the cheek, I took the seat next to her. She giggled loudly, a completely _un_Bella move, and kissed my cheek back. I smiled at her, trying to keep the confusion from showing on my face. Normally, when I'd do something like that, Bella would blush, get all quiet, and act really shy. _Something_ was up. I knew that, for sure.

The whole lunch, everyone talked about the most fucking random shit ever. Like seriously. If they were trying to be oblivious to knowing about my god-awful past, they were doing a shitty job. I mean, not even _Emmett _would make eye contact with me. I kept telling myself that it would pass. It had to eventually, or I'd pretty much go insane. Not good.

For about the hundredth time, Bella was laughing hysterically over some lame-ass joke Emmett told her. So far, no one had come up to her yet. I was surprised, but also glad. She didn't need to be worrying over other people's remorse.

Suddenly, Bella's face became serious. My did as well, being so in tune to whatever she did. My eyes followed to where hers were staring, and my stomach instantly dropped. Red-Head, bitch-face, all of the other slutty terms possible, was motioning for Bella to come over there.

I wanted to yell profanities at Victoria, I wanted to shout at Bella to sit down, but I knew that either would be effective. I wasn't throwing myself into the rules of girl world. Whatever the _fuck_ they were. Bella hesitated for a moment, darting her eyes to mine. They were silently pleading her not to go. She shot me an apologetic frown and stood up.

_Shit_.

"Edward, will you come with me?" She asked in a small voice. I hated it. I fucking hated that she felt so inferior to them. Those bitches had _nothing_ on Bella. I had told her that many times. Without even thinking twice, I nodded and quickly stood up. I would have gone over there with her had she asked or not.

She clutched on to my hand tightly, and I walked her slowly over there. God, I wished she wouldn't fucking do this. This was prone to end in disaster. I'd break _someone's_ neck. I knew I had to keep my mouth shut though, so I remained silent next to Bella as we approached Bitch-Zone.

Victoria turned to face her, glancing at our intertwined hands, and then at my face. She smirked bitterly, looking back at Bella. "Cute." She sneered, "You were too afraid to talk to me alone? I don't bite." A devious smile spread across her wicked, red lips.

Bella gripped my hand tighter, restraining _me_ from attacking Victoria. Ah. She knew me too well. I smile tugged at my lips, but quickly vanished as soon as Victoria began talking again. "Well, I wanted to tell you," She began, her voice nauseating, "I saw you on the news, and I think all of it's a bunch of bulls–"

Bella held up her hand to stop her. I had other plans of stopping her. I had never, and promised to never hit a girl. I could easily change that though. Before I knew it, Bella began talking though.

"Victoria," Her voice was strong, and fearless. "I don't give a _fuck_ what you think about me." My eyes widened. Oh my god, it was a milestone. Bella dropped the F-bomb. "You know why?" She asked, her voice steady and forceful. "Because even though I don't have any family or money, and I may not have that many friends, it's _you_ I feel sorry for." I don't think speechless _or_ stunned would cover Victoria's face. Bella went on though. "Have you ever even once thought about what you do to people? The hurtful things you say?"

She took a deep breath, and I was surprised the tears hadn't came yet. "I know that you hate me, and that I'm not so fond of you either, but I don't get why you always have to be so mean?" Victoria's friends started quietly laughing at Bella's words. My glare cut them off abruptly. "Like I said, I may not have all of the things you do, but I _know_ that despite all that's happened, every thing's going to be okay."

Then, I was basically speechless too. I don't think anyone knew what to say. Victoria especially. No comeback in the world would have been able to top what Bella just did. I wanted to fucking kiss her silly, and hug the shit out of her, and bury my nose in her hair, and all of that wonderful stuff. She had done it. She had stood up to Victoria.

I think she realized this too, and she looked up at me. Her eyes were shocked as she blinked a couple of times. Then, she beamed at me. She was fucking _glowing_. I grinned back so widely, it hurt my face.

Before the bitch thought of something horrible to say, I let go of Bella's hand and wrapped my arm tightly around her waist, squeezing her to my side. As we walked back to our table, I noticed the cafeteria had fallen completely silent. It had been silent the whole time. Everyone had listened in to the conversation that had just took place.

In the background, someone started to clap. What the hell? Another joined in, and then some more. Bella stared at the ground, afraid to look up. More people started clapping, and standing up. It wasn't long before basically the whole cafeteria was in applause; eyes on Bella.

I wanted her to see this. I _needed_ her to see this. I leaned over to her, and whispered into her ear. "Bella, look up. Look at everyone, beautiful." As slowly as ever, her head raised up, and her eyes darted around the room. They widened at the sight before us, and quick shot back to mine. I grinned assuringly at her, silently letting her know that they were on her side.

She blushed the darkest shade of red I had ever seen – fucking adorably, might I add – and darted her eyes back to meet mine. Then, she smiled at me again. So big, so wide, it should have gone into the fucking record book. She continued to beam at me, and occasionally the people around us as we continued the walk back to our table.

It was high school. I wasn't surprised in the least that something like this would happen. Emmett was cheering and clapping the loudest, putting the football team to shame with his outrageously loud hollering. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Good fucking lord.

Before we sat down, I leaned close to her ear. "You know what?" I asked, whispering into her ear. "You've got one dirty fucking mouth, did you know that?" She let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back and everything. It made me smile even more.

We made it back to the table, and sat down. Eventually, the clapping died down, and everyone sat back down as well. Everything went back into completely silence, and awkwardness fell over the cafeteria. Not for my Bella though, because nothing anyone would have ever said to her in that moment, would have shattered that fucking amazing smile.

The rest of the lunch was like that. It was only towards the end when I started getting worried again. As hard as she tried to hide it, I could see that something was really eating at Bella. Knowing Bella, it was probably either something completely huge, or something completely pointless. I hoped she wasn't worrying too much about all of this legal shit coming. Carlisle said he would take care of it, and I knew he would.

I took Bella's hand, pulling her along to her next class. Once we were walking and it was silent, I could practically feel her tension radiating from her. Had she already forgotten what she had done during lunch? The fucking bravery she had shown?

"Bella," I began slowing down our pace just a little bit. We still had five minutes till class actually began. "What's bugging you?" I asked her simply, trying to keep the conversation casual.

She looked at me, and quickly away down towards her feet. If that wasn't dead-giveaway, her response sure as hell was. "I don't know what you're talking about," She told me nervously. Ah, Bella, you are _too_ easy. I stopped walking all together, and stepped to the side of the hallways so we wouldn't be in anyone's path.

I brought my thumb up to stroke her cheek, keeping my eyes locked with hers. "What's bugging you?" I repeated in a soft voice, trying to manipulate her into telling me. Usually, it always worked. Apparently not today though.

She broke my gaze, blushing and looking down at her fucking feet once again. I narrowed my eyes the slightest, remembering to keep any hint of frustration from my tone. "Will you tell me?" I asked, almost pleading now. "Please?"

Her eyes met mine once again, and they were wide and innocent. She didn't say anything for a moment as her big, brown eyes gazed into mine. Out of no where, she raised her delicate eyebrow. "Kiss me," She whispered softly, pulling my face down to hers. Her lips were eagers as I kissed back, bewildered.

This was wrong. Fuck. She was trying to distract me. I tried with all of my will-power to release her lips from mine, but just couldn't. We hadn't kissed like this in forever, and I sure as hell missed it. Instead of fighting, I just gave in. I enjoyed myself, weaving my fingers into her soft, strawberry-smelling hair.

I fucking _loved_ strawberries.

Before I knew it, the first warning bell rang. I pulled away quickly, meeting Bella's smug, smirking face. I narrowed my eyes at her. She had _planned _this. Being the fucking genius she was, she _knew_ that was the one thing I couldn't resit. Sometimes, it was like she could read my mind. I shivered at the very thought. I sure hoped she couldn't. How fucking mortifying would _that_ be? Very. I didn't even want to think about it.

If she ever found out about how much of my day I spent fantasizing about her, or eye-fucking her, I'd probably kill myself. I'd dig a hole, bury myself, shoot myself, _then_ die. Yeah, my thoughts were _that_ bad.

"I'll tell you later," She told me, walking away to her next class, leaving me stunned, and with a huge hard on. I silently swore at my over-sensitive dick, painfully walking to my geometry class. The minute after I made it into my seat, the bell rang.

Thank God that Ms. Goff was as ugly as hell, because as soon as I saw her, my boner immediately dropped. Trying my best to keep it that way, I made sure that all of my thoughts were strictly _school_-related.

Oh, what the fuck am I talking about? By the end of class, my penis was throbbing. _That's_ how bad I wanted my lovely Bella, or, as Emmett would put it; Bella-boo. I smiled to myself. It was cute, just like her. Except for _cute_ was the understatement of the century.

On my way to pick Bella up from her last class, I was met by James in the hallway. Without stopping to acknowledge whatever the fuck he wanted to tell me, I glared angrily at him. My glare was telling him not to fuck with my girl. If he did, I _would_ break his face. And everything else that was precious to him, of course.

I knew that it wasn't the end of him though. He had been all but quiet the last couple of weeks, never really talking or looking at the either of us. I had an eerie feeling, and my stomach felt a little fucking uneasy. It was sort of like the calm before the storm, is what it seemed.

Bella was anxiously waiting outside her classroom door, smiling ear to ear when she saw me. Although it was nice to see, I still knew she was covering up some other emotion. I smiled back at her, none the less, and hurried my pace to reach her.

I knew I could get used to this; Not having to see her broken anymore. Never having to check on her at night, on whether she's okay or not. Not having to constantly worry that she might be being abused at the very moment. And last but not least, not having to always save her. Though, I never really minded _that_ part.

"Hello there," I grinned at her, pulling her to me. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tightly. I could also get used to this; Not having to worry if she was hurt or not. I smiled into her hair, resting my chin on her forehead.

"Hi." She whispered into my chest, hugging me even tighter. I chuckled and released her, taking hold of her hand and leading her out to the parking lot. Once we were in the car, there was no way she could escape my questions any longer. I think she knew that too. Her steps were small and slow, and she was stalling. She knew she couldn't hide anything from me – try or not.

As soon as I pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced at Bella, making sure she was paying attention. Luckily, she was already staring at me. Her eyes were wide, and slightly nervous. I wanted to shake my head at her, but didn't. Didn't she know by now that she _never_ had to be nervous around me? Never. Ever.

For the third time that day, I repeated my question to her. "What's bugging you, Bells?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light. The curiosity in it was burning though, and I knew she heard it to. I met her eyes once again, and they were more relaxed this time.

She took a deep breath, and her chocolate eyes became more intense. "I think I want to go and talk to my father."

* * *

**Okay, okay.  
So that was an interesting chapter, eh?  
It was interesting to write, THAT was for sure.**_**beg**_** you. I mean, it seemed like it was flowing at the time, but I'm not sure. How did I do? *puppy dog face***

**When's the lemon coming? ****Soon. Okay? I promise. IT WILL HAPPEN. And it will be damn juicy, by the way. I'm really hoping to please all of you smutty-folks out there. I've never attempted a lemon before, but I can guarantee you that I will give it my all. Okay? Okay.**

**Charlie?**** Yeah, yeah. I know it's taking a while, but more on all of that crap will be explained in the next few chapters. There'll be a trial, obviously. And a ridiculous load of other things following. He may be out of Bella's life, but that doesn't mean he's finished quite yet.**

**How much more of FD do we have left?**** Well, I can't give you an exact number or anything, because I'm still deciding epilogues and all of those wonderful things. For sure there will be at least 5 more. You'll see.**

**On CPOV – Will you guys PLEASE let me know how I did on that? No really, I**

**Kay, so there are some serious questions that need to be answered, yes?  
Well, I'll start out with the simple ones...**

**_Now, on to the main question of the evening. ._**

.MY NEXT STORY INSTALLMENT INTO FANFICTION:  
Without spoiling anything major, I can tell you that my next story is _not_ one of the choice that were optioned on my profile link. Yeah, that's right.  
This one's going to be angsty my dears, alright? Like, dark.

**Details I can tell you –  
Rated: M  
Story Type: A/H, OOC  
Couples: Cannon**

**And since I'm horribly mean, I've decided that you guys can guess the title.  
If you guess right, I'll send you the draft of the first chapter.  
Here's your incredibly large hint: the first words is "the", and the second word has 8 letters. GO!**

**By the way, this story is already in this midst.  
I've already began working on the prologue, and getting all of my notes together.  
It won't be long before I'm finished with the first few chapters.  
ANYWAYS.  
That's probably all I can tell you for now.  
Leave me love, darlings.  
Or at least, do it for Edward. :D**

_**Reviews are better than Bella dropping the F bomb!(:**_


	25. Dark Blue: Jack's Mannequin

**Sorry. Real life's a bitch.  
'Nuff said.**

**Song for this chapter is** _**Dark Blue – Jack's Mannequin**_**  
Basically, it's a fitting song for this chappy. You know, the mood and all.  
Meh. Just go and listen, okay?(:**

******I love you all.  
I really do.  
Now read please.  
**

(Whoa, short A/N this week, right?)

* * *

**BPOV**

He blinked twice, "Are you serious?" I nodded, and his face crunched up into anger. I was almost surprised he didn't run off the road or something. He continued to stare at me, shocked.

I knew it. As much as I loved him, I knew he wouldn't get it. _I_ didn't even get it completely. For some reason though, I needed to talk to him. I needed to get the answers I had always wanted from day one. The main answer.

_Why_.

I had already stood up to Victoria, so I figured, why not try for Charlie. I wasn't even sure if I could do it though. I wouldn't be able to do it alone, _that_ was for sure. I needed Edward to come with me, but I wasn't even sure if he was even able to form a capable response at the moment. I just knew that I needed to talk to Charlie. If I talked to him, I knew that I'd somehow feel better. At least, that's what I hoped.

I took a deep breath, letting out the tension. I knew he would react this way. That's why I had tried to keep it from him for as long as possible. Normally, with my important thoughts, that was never very long.

"I'm one hundred percent serious." I said calmly.

We were now pulled into his driveway, and without saying anything, we both exited the car. He was pissed off; that was easily readable. What I couldn't figure out was who the anger was directed towards. I was positive that some of it was for me, and I guess it made sense that the rest of it was towards Charlie.

I followed a step behind his frantic march, trying to keep up. I knew he wouldn't want to talk about this until we were in the confines of his room, so I hurried up the stairs behind him, amazed at myself for not falling once. He never said a word to me, but I could practically feel the storm of curse words I was about to hear.

He wait at the door, a hand through his hair stressfully, and closed it once we were both inside. Without thinking about it, I walked over to his bed, sitting on the edge. Maybe if I relaxed a little, he would to. No such luck. He before me, arms crossed, eyes accusing. Why? I couldn't imagine. I bit my lip as I held his gaze, afraid to look, but afraid to look away.

There was about a minute of agonizing silence. A few times, I had almost stood up and walked over to him, hoping to vanish all of the hateful emotions he had. I soon realized, just by the way his eyes flashed, that all of his anger was directed towards Charlie. I was relieved that it wasn't me, but concerned that he would not go along with my decision.

I wondered which of us would be the first to break the silence. I _really_ didn't want it to be me. I waited for him patiently, hoping that by the time he said something, it at least be reasonable. Once again, no such luck. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Ah, there was my Eddie – language, irritation, and all.

I shook my head. I wasn't kidding.

I almost wanted to just drop the whole thing, I was very close to telling him that too, but I was positive that if I got some answers out of my father, I wouldn't live through the rest of my life with all of these questioning thoughts and burdens. It would kill me.

"Please, Edward," I asked him quietly, "Just listen for a minute. . ." I pleaded him with my eyes, hoping he _would_ listen. He sighed, shaking his head. He walked over to the bed, sat down next to me, then laid his head down on the sheets, covering his hands over his eyes and rubbing his face.

"This better be fucking good," I heard him mumble. Some things would never change, I guess. Hey, _he_ was the one who wanted to know so bad.

"Look," I told him, playing with my fingers and looking down at my lap. "I can't live without knowing some things. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, and I don't really understand why I need it so badly either," Maybe he was right. Maybe this was stupid. No, it wasn't. "But I think if I talk to him, I'll feel better. I can't go through the rest of my life wondering, Edward. If I don't figure out these things now, I'll never be able to." God, I hoped that made sense. In my thoughts, it all did, but then again, my thoughts were kind of complicated.

He sat up, his eyes focused intently on mine. I could tell he was thinking, and he didn't respond at first. The anger didn't go away, not at all, but I could have sworn his eyes became the slightest bit softer. His contemplating silence was nerve-racking.

"Bella," He finally said, his voice more quiet this time. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"You might be right. . ." I paused, "But I _really_ think I should do this." I hated using my power against him, but as of right now, I had no other choice. I bit my lip slightly, staring into his eyes through my eye lashes with a sad, pleading expression. One of my hands ran up and down his chest while the other cupped his cheek. "Please?" I whispered, "For me?"

He shut his eyes, shaking his head and letting out a low chuckle. "Bella, Bella, Bella. . ." When he opened his eyes again, they were more accepting this time, and defeated. I knew I had won. "I still don't think it's a great idea, _but_, I will humor you." As a reward, I kissed him tenderly on the lips. When I pulled away, a big smile spread across my face. Though, I was confused as to why I was so excited. I reminded myself that this was _Charlie_ we were talking about.

"Thank you," I whispered, smiling and kissing him once again. I couldn't help it; He was being such a good sport about this. Or, at least that's what it appeared like. I wanted to do this now though, and get it over with. If I thought about it any longer, I would surely loose my stride.

Without words, I took his hand and lead him back to the Volvo. When I flashed a quick glance at his face, it was mostly composed, other than the obvious fact that every muscle in his body was as tense as a rock. I squeezed on to his hand even tighter, hoping to some how calm him down. This would probably be hard for him.

Neither of us told Esme where we were going, because both of us knew that she wouldn't approve. We got into the car, and the drive to the prison was silent the whole way. Edward's driving had me on the edge though; every turn, stop, and acceleration on the gas pedal, told me that he was taking his anger out on aggressive driving. I was confident he wouldn't crash though, so I kept my mouth shut.

The jail was on the other side of town, so after ten minutes, we pulled into the parking lot. I kept myself relaxed, afraid if I thought one thing wrong, it would truly break me. In fact, this really was a make or break deal. I knew Edward was right – about it not being a good idea, but I had to try.

Once we were out of the car, he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist, keeping me snugly against the side of his body. I knew he was being overly protective, but I didn't mind one bit. Protective Edward was hot. Plus, it was a jail – obviously he was going to make sure I was safe. I smiled up at him warmly, but he didn't see. His eyes were glued to the concrete walls in front of us.

I did all the talking once we got inside, surprising both myself and Edward with how at ease I felt. My emotions on the outside were completely misleading though. Inside, I was screaming at myself for how stupid of an idea this was.

The moment we began the walk through the prison halls, past the cells, Edward's clenched his jaw, and mashed it into a hard line. He stayed though, continuing to hold me close. I reminded myself to reward him later. I almost grinned at the possibilities.

As we walked by different cells, I heard men whistling at me, reaching out through their bars to try and touch me. Edward looked like he wanted to kill someone. He basically growled at everyone who even looked at me, keeping me even tighter against his body. I was honestly surprised he didn't pick me up and carry me the rest of the way. Maybe I would have felt better if he did.

Finally, the man leading us stopped. Suddenly, I was afraid. Realizing now, finally, what I was about to do. I dug my nails into Edward's shirt, clinging onto him tightly. No, I couldn't do that. I shook my head, releasing him completely. I had wanted to do this, dammit, and I was going to. I wasn't going to let little, coward-Bella take over me now.

We approached the cell, my steps slow and shaky. The guard mumbled something to us about visiting hours, but I ignored him. The only person who's eyes mine were focused on right now, were my father's.

They were cold, and hard. And confused. Once our eyes met, his narrowed. Edward stood protectively behind me, practically breathing down my neck. I turned to him, letting him know that I was okay, and that he could take a step or two back. As much as I needed him, my rock, I had to do this alone.

I noticed that Charlie's cell was only occupied by him, and that his was one of the nicer ones we had seen. A part of me felt angry about that; why should he deserve special treatment? Just because he wasn't officially guilty, he got to have it like a king? I pushed the thought away though, not wanting my thoughts to be blocked out by anger. He needed to hear this. _I_ needed to hear this.

I cleared my throat nervously. "Charlie." I stated flatly.

"Bella." He said back, no emotion in his voice what-so-ever. I was surprised he wouldn't have been calling me out right now. That he wasn't trying to ring his hands around my neck. Then, I realized he couldn't. I think for the first time since Edward, Jasper, and Emmett had saved me that night, it finally dawned on me that he couldn't hurt me anymore.

He was saying my name in defeat. As in, there's no point in trying anymore. He knew he was busted, and the fact almost made me smile. Almost. Then, I remembered why I was here. "Why did you do it?" I spat at him suddenly, a whole new wave of emotions taking over me. "Why?" I asked again, my voice raising with hysteria and cracking.

Edward laid a hand on my shoulder, but I shook it off quickly. My eyes remained focused on Charlie's. He didn't say anything, just staring back at me with cold eyes. I waited for him to respond, but he never did. I was just getting more angry, upset, depressed, and terrified by every second I was here. I knew I should leave, but my feet couldn't find it in me to leave.

Without warning, a loud sob escaped from my chest, followed by a drop of water, oozing out of my eye. Damn it, I wasn't suppose to cry. I fought them back, with all of my might, but once they started, they just kept coming.

"Why, Charlie?" I whispered, taking another step towards the bars. He remained still, sitting in that same, stupid spot in the corner. "I just want to know, please?" I begged quietly, hoping to God that he'd just say something. Through my tears, I narrowed my eyes at him. "You owe me _that_ much." I whispered angrily. "After all of the hell you've put me through," I spat, "You could at least give me an answer."

The look on his face told me I wasn't going to get one. I sniffed loudly and bowed my head, feeling like a fool for even coming. Why couldn't I have just listened to Edward? He placed his hand on my shoulder once again, and this time, I didn't shake it off. Instead, I folded myself into Edward's loving embrace, crying into his chest.

I pulled on him, needing to get away from this damn place, when Charlie cleared his throat. I spun around, clinging on tightly to Edward's hand. "Isabella," Charlie said, voice taught and still emotionless. I stared at him, speechless. He had never, _ever_ called me that before.

Once again, I waited for him to say something after that, but he never did. I let go of Edward's hand and walked back to the bars, resting my forehead on one of them and shutting my eyes. "Was I not good enough for you?" I asked, in barely an audible whisper. I opened my eyes up once again, only to have my vision blocked by more tears. "Did I ever do anything wrong?"

Another sob erupted from my chest as I sank to the ground, my arms wrapped tightly around my knees and my face resting on the cold, metal bars. "Why didn't you love me?" I cried miserably, letting out everything I had held in for way too long. "Why haven't you ever loved me?" I felt Edward wrap an arm around me, and cradle me into his chest, but not even his mere presence was enough to calm me.

I cried for what felt like ages, when finally, _finally_, Charlie spoke to me. "Bella," His voice was unapologetic, and hard. Nothing new, that was for sure. I stared up at him, sniffling. Edward squeezed me even tighter to him. It was like he was trying to keep me together; I _loved_ him for it.

"I'm not going to say sorry, because I don't regret anything I've done to you," He said firmly, rubbing his face with both hands, "I'd like to blame the things I did to you on your mother, but I don't know if I can. You always reminded me of her, and I _hated_ you for it." I just stared at him, wiping my eyes. "It was like after she died," I wanted to scoff at him for his choice of words, "You were only in my life to taunt me. I don't know how to explain it. . .the things that happened to me over the years, they just did."

He paused for a moment, shaking his head. I could have swore Edward had just growled, but I wasn't positive. Instead, the words I least expected left Charlie's mouth. "It wasn't you – It was never you. _It was me_."

I froze. A minute went by where no one said anything at all. The only thing I heard was the loud pounding of my heart, and the shallow breaths being let out of my mouth. Then, I left.

I lifted myself off the floor, and walked towards the main entrance. That was all I needed to hear. If I stayed any longer, there would be no point in listening. He wasn't going to apologize, I wasn't going to forgive him. It was a mutual thing. Nothing more had to be said on either party's account. My time to talk was during the trial. I shuddered at the mere thought alone of the things I'd have to recap to strangers.

I heard Edward's heavy footsteps from behind me, and an arm was soon wrapped around my waist. In the back of my head, I couldn't help but wonder if anyone had a better boyfriend than me. I knew the answer: no. He was so supportive, and caring, and just. . .every possible adjective describing something wonderful. I wanted to tackle him.

I almost did.

Instead, without a word, we both silently walked through the parking lot, through the light mist falling from the sky. I titled my head upwards, loving the cool sensations I was getting from the soft rainfall. Edward watched me, and smiled widely when I caught him staring. Surprisingly, I didn't blush.

I still felt like crap though. Utter, sincere, crap. The tears had not yet disappeared yet, and my eyes were sore from all of the crying. I felt the same as when I entered that prison; that any one word could break me. I had gotten my answers, sort of, but I still felt empty. I still felt like there was more to be told. I was in desperate need of a distraction. I was in desperate need of _Edward_.

The moment the both of us were in the Volvo, Edward turned to face me. His eyes were warm, and sincere. "Bella," He said in a gentle voice, "I'm so proud of y–" I didn't give him time to finish. Given the space I was provided with, I leaped frantically at him, crushing my lips desperately to his. I ran my hands through his hair, pulling and tugging.

He kissed back, completely bewildered, but still willingly. I could tell he was confused, and I was as well, but that didn't matter. I needed this, _right_ now. I shoved my tongue into his mouth, running it along his soft lips, and meeting the tip of his sweet tongue.

I was completely in his lap, and I had just noticed now that he had pushed his seat back to give us more room. It only made me more eager than I had been before. I continued to frantically kiss him; his lips, his cheeks, his nose. Everywhere. I felt him under me, the proof that he _did_, in fact, want me as much as I wanted him. I held back my smugness though.

Once my kisses made it to his neck, my hands unwrapped themselves from his hair, and found the buttons on his shirt. I began ripping them open, one by one, getting impatient with how long it was taking me. I leaned back for a moment, huffing at the stubborn things for not just coming off, and ripped the rest from their sockets.

Edward gasped and moaned into my skin at both the same time, only arousing me more. I didn't care that we were in the parking lot of a prison, or that we probably weren't prepared. I just wanted _him_.

_All of him_.

As soon as my hands made their way down to the zipper of his jeans, he froze under me. He went completely stiff, pulling away abruptly. I pulled away too, panicking that I had done something wrong. Wasn't this what he wanted? It was what I wanted. "Bella, stop." His tone was husky, and final. It also sent shivers down my spine.

I stared at him, trying to keep the rejection and hurt from my face. Traitor tears were threatening to spill though, and I knew I wasn't fooling him. His green eyes were disapproving at first. Then, they became soft, and pierced deeply into mine. I still didn't understand why he stopped me. I resisted the urge to stick out my lip and pout.

I couldn't look at his eyes anymore. I looked down at my lap, awkwardly sitting there in silence. I heard a soft sigh escape his lips, and looked up. "Bells. . ." He whispered, nuzzling his nose with mine. "What ever am I going to do with you?" I didn't smile. I didn't appreciate his sense of humor at the moment. I think he saw that as well. His smile faltered, and turned into a grim line.

"Bella," He sighed, bringing his hand up to stroke my cheek. "It _will_ happen. I promise." He paused for a moment, his green eyes suddenly torn. "When it does, it's going to be special, and actually _mean_ something though." I bit my lip and nodded at his logic. "I don't want it to be because your angry, or because your sad, or because you want a distraction. You don't have to prove yourself – there's no rush." Damn, he was good.

I nodded solemnly, disgusted with myself that I was actually wanting to use him that way. I started to climb off of his lap, when he pulled me back to him. "Hey," He whispered playfully into my ear. "I said no sex. _This_," His nose ran along my neck, up to where my lips were. "Is okay."

So that's what we did.

We made out in his Volvo for the next hour straight.

I definitely got my distraction. And a lot of other things as well. There was playful groping, some tickling. Just enough to drive me absolutely crazy. I think he knew that. Once I was about to snap again, and tackle him, he pulled away chuckling, mumbling something about how we should get home.

I had narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my arms and sliding back into my seat. The more we drove, the more focused I became on the things we'd still need to overcome. I stared out the window, holding back tears the whole drive home. Edward never asked. He didn't _need_ to. Because really, I knew he was worrying about the exact same things.

After we got home, we caught up on homework for about an hour. Our words were playful, but we weren't fooling each other. The atmosphere was completely tense, and I knew we'd have to talk about it soon. I didn't want to, because talking about it made it officially real. I didn't want my problems to be real. Couldn't they have just been nightmares?

Finally, after there was absolutely no more time to avoid the subject any longer, I sighed and closed my math book. "Edward," I began, "We need to–" I was stopped by Carlisle, who had just walked into the room.

"Bella," He smiled warmly at me, "Edward." He nodded at his son. I was confused about the silent exchange the two had shared, but didn't think much about it. I couldn't help but notice Carlisle's calm facade slipping though. "Will you two please come down to my office in a few minutes?" He asked politely. I watched Edward nod at him, and Carlisle walk out the door.

"Fuck," Edward muttered as soon as he had left the room. "This can't be anything good." I heard him mumble to himself. He packed away all of his homework, shoving it hastily into his book bag. I did the same, feeling very wary about Edward's words. They were probably true.

We walked into his study together, hand in hand. Carlisle had a stack of papers on his desk, and looked up from his work to smile at us when we approached. There was a small couch to the left of his desk, and I walked over to sit in it. Edward however, didn't sit. For some reason, he was too tense for that.

Carlisle sighed, abandoning his papers completely. "I'm sure the two of you have a pretty good idea what this is about." His voice was grim. I nodded absentmindedly, keeping my eyes focused on Edward. I worried about him; worried that any one word would truly break him of his limits. Other then the obvious tense atmosphere, he seemed at ease. At least, that's what it appeared.

"The trial is a week from today," He told us both, mainly me. "It's going to be held in Phoenix, because Washington doesn't offer the accommodations this case needs." This wasn't exactly shocking news. He had warned me that the trial would probably end up being out of state. I was okay with this news, up until he told me his next words. "It'll be a ten day process, Bella." Ten days?

Up until now, Edward hadn't spoken. "That long?" He asked in awe. "That's ridiculous." I knew he was trying really hard not to say any inappropriate words in front of him. The thought made me smile. Edward was not Edward without his colorful language.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is." Carlisle confirmed quietly. He turned to me, "Bella, I'm sorry it has to be like this. We just need to make sure that we win this case; if we don't do everything possibly right, everything will end up horribly wrong." I knew he was avoiding something. There was an unanswered question in his voice. I didn't say anything, waiting for him to explain further.

"So what's the plan?" Edward asked impatiently, still standing in front of his father's desk. Carlisle really wasn't his father, I just liked to think he was. He was such a good man, and it just seemed fitting, since Phil was a crappy dad. Much worse, actually.

Now, Carlisle looked uncomfortable. "Well, Edward," He said hesitantly, "Please don't protest until I finish." His tone was tired. "Bella and I will fly out to Arizona the morning before the trial for preparation." He paused for a moment, waiting for Edward to interrupt. He didn't. "The judge would like it to be a time trial, having a certain amount of information being released each day. Bella, we have a lawyer that you will meet when we arrive in Phoenix."

This seemed to spark some sort of emotion in Edward. His head snapped up, staring at Carlisle with an accusing look. "When you say _we_. . ." He trailed off.

"I mean myself, and Bella." The moment the words left Carlisle's mouth, I shut my eyes, waiting for it to begin. It didn't take to long at all for my dear boyfriend to process the words.

"What?" He raised his voice, taking a step towards the desk and resting both of his palms on it. "Are you serious?" His tone was a mixture of horror, anger, and something else. Fear? I couldn't tell. "I'm not leaving her." He stated finally, "She's not leaving me." I opened my eyes to see him and Carlisle in the middle of a stare-down. The only difference between the two stares was Carlisle's was apologetic. Edward's, was furious.

"Edward," He said calmly, holding his hands out. "Please listen. This is a very serious thing. If we loose this, Charlie could be released. Bella could end up back with him again. Do you want that?" Edward didn't answer – he couldn't argue with that logic. The mere thought had me shivering. "If you're there, it could be a distraction. Not only for Bella, but for the rest of the court, and the press."

Edward's jaw mashed into a hard line, and I saw his fists clench into tight balls. His eyes slowly shut, and he let out a shaky breath. When his voice came out, it was in defeat. "I can't do that Carlisle." He said quietly, pained. "I just. . .I can't." I wanted to wrap my arms around him, and comfort him. I couldn't though – not now.

"I know, Edward," He said assuringly, "Believe me, I know."

Suddenly, Edward's eyes flew open. "No, you _don't_." He responded angrily. "You don't fucking get it, do you?" I braced myself for his temper. "I can't be away from her." He yelled, "We _can't_ be apart!" His hand flew out and knocked over the container of pens on Carlisle's desk. Carlisle didn't look surprised in the least. Edward groaned loudly and ran both of his hands through his hair.

Don't hate me for this, Edward, I wanted to tell him. Please, don't get mad. In a quiet voice, I said, "I think he's right." Edward's eyes snapped to mine, and were hurt. I almost didn't say it. In an even quieter voice, I whispered. "I agree with Carlisle." They both stared at me for a moment, shocked.

Then, without another word, Edward stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him. I bit my lip, upset that I had made him so hurt. I couldn't argue with Carlisle's thoughts though. This was serious, and if we didn't win, I don't know what I would do. Edward couldn't protest against that, could he? Surely, a ten day span apart would be better than me spending a lifetime with Charlie, wouldn't it?

I sighed, sinking further into the couch. "He hates me, doesn't he?" I asked sadly, shaking my head. I wished that things didn't have to be this way, but knew that there really wasn't another way out other than this.

Carlisle chuckled humorlessly. "Trust me, it's not you he hates. It's me." I looked up to see Carlisle rubbing his face with both hands. I felt bad for him; sorry that I had to burden him and his family with all of my stupid problems. "I know you two need each other," He told me. I looked down at my hands, blushing. "But it has to be this way. It's the only way." I nodded, not wanting to agree to his words but having to.

"We don't have to talk about this anymore for now," He said. "Once it gets to be unavoidable, well will. Now, now you relax. Please. Don't worry about anything for now." I nodded again, and stood up. I mumbled a goodbye, and headed off in search of Edward. I didn't no where he could possibly be.

Carlisle was right though. For now, we didn't have to worry about anything. Not for another week, at least. Then, I could worry all I wanted. I climbed the stairs, and swung open the door to Edward's bedroom, only to find it empty. Where was he? I searched the rest of the rooms on the top floor, still not being able to locate him. I was getting nervous; Had I really upset him _that_ much?

I found Em and Jasper in the living room, watching a football game, hollering loudly at the TV. They immediately stopped as soon as I entered the room, and looked hesitant. God, I hated that. I resented the fact that everyone felt so sorry for me all of the time. I was a big girl – I could handle things now.

I darted my eyes around the room, still in search of Edward. "Have you guys seen Edward?" I asked curiously, furrowing my brow. As soon as I said this, Rosalie walked into the room with a can of pop in her hand.

"He's out in the back," She told me nonchalantly. I nodded my thanks and headed for the door. I stepped outside, bare feet, relieved that it was actually nice for a February night. There was no snow, no rain. Just a light, cool breeze. When I stepped into the grass, it felt amazing on my bare feet. I sighed in contentment, letting my eyes fall closed for just a moment.

Once I opened them back up, I scanned the dark grass for Edward. I spotted him not too far away, laying on his back with his hands behind his head. A picture of ease really. I knew better though. Silently, I approached him. I realized that he was staring up at the full moon, lighting up the sky.

Quietly, I laid down next to him, reaching for his hand. He didn't say or do anything as I took it and held it tightly in both of mine. Minutes of silence passed, until it began to get uncomfortable. "I'm sorry." I whispered to him remorsefully.

He turned towards me for the first time, propping himself up on one shoulder. I remained peacefully on my back, cautiously staring into his eyes. I really didn't want him to explode again. "Why the fuck are you sorry?" He asked, soft but harshly. "Stop apologizing, please." He told me flatly.

I was taken aback by his hostile attitude, but wasn't that surprised. "Well I am." I told him, not being able to help it. "I'm sorry for everything," I mumbled quietly for him. "You and your family haven't deserved all of the shit I've burden you with." I told him seriously. His eyes widen at my word choice, and I rolled my eyes, annoyed. "I'm not a little kid, Edward," I said curtly, "I'll swear if I want to."

He laughed at me. Of course he would find that funny. I mean, he'd let curse words fly like there was no tomorrow, and then, I _happen _to say one little thing wrong, and he freaks out. That's Edward for you. "_Stop_," He groaned. "Stop apologizing, Bells. I'll feel even more shitty than I already do."

His statement had me confused. Why did he feel shitty? I understood that he might have felt angry, but I didn't get why he felt like crap. "Why? What's wrong?" My voice became soft again, and concerned.

He didn't respond for a few moments. "Well, on top of feeling so helpless," He sighed. "It's more than that. I'm trying _so_ hard, Bella. So hard. I can't keep myself together, but I _need_ to. Everything that's happening. . .everything that has happened. . .I just can't wrap my head around it all." His face became lost, and vulnerable. "I just. . .It's so frustrating. Everyone expects so much of me. I don't know what I'm suppose to do – what I'm suppose to prove anymore."

He glanced up at me through his lashes, with the most heartbreaking expression I had ever seen. He was feeling lost, and helpless, and defeated. And it killed me so much to hear that. I rolled myself onto him, laying my head on his chest, and wrapping my arms around him. I wanted to suck away all of those horrible feelings. I wanted to make him feel _happy_ again. Didn't we deserve a break? I didn't know what to tell him. I wasn't sure any words could have pulled him out of his depression.

"Bella," His pained whisper cut into me, "What do we do?" There it was again; he was lost, as was I. I didn't no what was going to happen anymore than he did. Once again, I didn't know what to say to make it better.

"Edward," I wanted my voice to sound confident, but it came out just as nervous as I felt. "I don't know. I don't know what we're suppose to do anymore." I wasn't about to lie to him; I was being completely honest. "I think all we can do for now, is let whatever happen, happen. If we fight fate, we'll loose." I wondered where all of this inner wisdom came from.

"We have each other," I reminded him, trying to sound assuring. "How bad can it be?" I raised my head just enough to see his face. He smiled at me, but it didn't touch his eyes. I knew he was trying so hard, like he said, and I squeezed myself even tighter to him.

He had kept me so together before, keeping me in one piece when my breakdown had hit. I'd do the same for him. Whatever it was, I'd do it. I needed to help him keep himself together more than ever now, and I wouldn't rest until he was happy again. Until my Edward was back. That's when I'd truly be at ease.

After a few moments of silence passed, I heard Edward's quiet sigh in the still air. "Ten days." He whispered, saying no more. He didn't need to – I knew what he was talking about. _Ten days_. In one week, we'd be apart for ten days. My chest ached with a pain so deep, I thought my heart had stopped working for a second.

Ever since we had first met, basically, we hadn't been apart for over 24 hours. In fact, I'd usually spend a majority of my day with him. This would be new. This would be horrible.

I tried to find positives, pondering on what I could say that would be assuring to the both of us. There were none. All I could come up with, was, "I'll call you every chance I get." I promised quietly. He nodded, shutting his eyes.

"I'm going to miss you _so_ much, Bells." There was no hiding the pain in his voice.

I planted a light kiss on his chest, and nuzzled closer to him. "It'll be okay. We'll be okay." I wasn't sure which one of us I was trying to convince more. My voice was shaky, "It'll be okay." I repeated. I wasn't sure if it was true or not, but those were the only words I could believe. Those were the only words I could cling on to for now.

Edward held me, on the soft blowing grass, so tightly, I couldn't notice the temperature dropping. Nothing could have broken me in that moment. I held him back, with all of my might, hoping it was enough. Our hearts were beating simultaneously. We truly were one. Nothing in the entire universe could have shattered my belief in that thought.

We _were_ one.

After what seemed like forever, Edward sat us both up, and I remained snugly against his body. I didn't want to let go. I couldn't afford to be separated from him for even a moment. I think by the way he was holding me, he felt the same.

When we went inside, we went straight to Edward's bedroom. It was a long, stressful day, and the best thing that we could get was sleep at the moment. Sleep was what I really wanted the most right now. Well, I was a little biased, I had to admit. Sleeping meant in Edward's bed, with Edward. I think anyone would find the idea appealing, really.

He went into the bathroom first, leaving me sitting on his bed and waiting for him. I glanced at the calender on his side table, and instantly regretted it. There, staring me in the face, was February 9th. It was one week from today, exactly, and it was taunting me. Tearing me up inside.

It was the date of the trial.

* * *

**This chapter had all sorts of tough emotions, didn't it?  
I have to admit, I teared up a few times while writing.  
I know, I know. I'm lame. Get over it.  
A lot happened in so little time, didn't it?  
I'd really enjoy hearing your thoughts. Seriously. It'd make my life. :D**

**Um, I have a request.  
I'm in serious need of updating my iTunes library.  
Can you guys help me?  
Any suggestions? Recommendations?  
I need some new stuff. Really bad.  
Thanks, m'loves!(:**

**Okay, so you got some Charlie explanations in there.  
Not a lot, I know, but still. What do you expect?  
It's Charlie. He's not going to just come out and tell Bella all of these personal things. She's right, he owes her that much, but obviously that's not going to happen.**

**As for my next story, and all of your guesses, none of them have been corrects so far.  
There have been a few close ones, but nothing has been right. I promise though, I'll let you all know within the next couple of weeks.  
How about another hint? I'm feeling nice tonight.  
Okay, so far, the first word is "the", and the second word had 8 letters.  
This isn't a very helpful hint, but make what you want.  
That last letter of the second word is "s".  
There you go.**

**Now leave me some love.  
Please? I'll love you forever...  
Oh wait. I already do. XD**

_**Reviews are better than seeing Charlie in a jail cell.  
I lie, I lie. They aren't better than that. BUT. They're pretty close!(:**_


	26. Awakening: Switchfoot

**I'm so fucking sorry. You don't even know.  
Seriously, I feel like I've failed you all. I feel awful.  
School just started, high school, and it's been a bitch. Life's been hectic lately.  
I play volleyball, and that's also started.  
Practice is everyday, for at least three hours or more.  
As I said before, I'm busy.  
And I'm also sorry.  
Just know that I am seriously trying my hardest to get chapters out.  
I will NOT quit on the story. I PROMISE.**

**The song for this chapter is **_**Awakening – Switchfoot**_**  
recommended by TRDancer, by the way. (Thank you, m'darling. It's a gorgeous song!)  
It doesn't necessarily make sense, why I chose it. If you don't get it, I'm sorry.  
I just thought that it fit the mood. For some reason, to me, it fit.  
Anyways. Go listen to it. It's so purdy.**

**Sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter. There probably will be, because I was rushing to get it out.  
Literally. I was rushing my ass of to post this.  
I'm sorry? Your welcome?  
Meh. Read the chapter now. Kay?**

* * *

**EPOV**

Ten days.

Ten _fucking_ days.

I splashed cool water onto my face, hoping to erase all of the things that had just been decided. How could Carlisle do this to me? He said he knew. If he really knew _that_ well, then he sure as hell wouldn't have been separating us for that long.

Today had been a shitty day. There was no questioning _that_. Well, at the least the second half had been. The first half had been fucking wonderful. But, of course, fate wouldn't let us have _one_ peaceful day.

First, Bella tells me she wants to talk to her douche bag of a father, and she's _serious_ about it. Then, when she does go and talk to him, he goes and makes her feel all inferior and helpless. I, being on my best behavior, did not beat the motherfucker's face into the cement. It was probably a good thing he was behind bars.

Secondly, she tries to get me to fuck her in my car. I, being the willing one I am, almost granted that. Of course though, my rational side had kicked in, and I had to feel like shit when I turned her down. Rational side was stupid.

Then, Carlisle drops the bomb on us. As if we needed anymore of _that_. What was worse, was that Bella agreed with him. I didn't know why, or how she could, but that's what went down. Luckily, I got out of there before I broke anyone's face. I was damn close to it, too. Yes, shitty day indeed.

I wanted nothing more than for it to just end. Quickly, I hurried out of the bathroom so Bella could do whatever the hell it was she did in there every night. When I glanced at her face, I noticed that it had changed to complete nervousness. I walked over to my bed, and noticed a red sharpie laying on the covers. I looked around to find the calender besides my bed. There, on the date of February 9th, was a big frowny face.

I almost wanted to smile at the thought of Bella doing this, but it wasn't remotely funny. Or even happy. I moved my finger ahead on it, stopping it at the 19th. I pulled the cap off the marker, and wrote a big smiley face on her return date.

When she walked out of the bathroom, I silently held my arms open for her, needing her more than the air itself. I expected her to just walk over to me, instead, she surprised me by practically hurdling straight into my arms. As soon as my arms were around her, I felt relieved. She nuzzled her face deeply into the crook of my neck, and clung to me tightly.

Without a word, and without breaking or embrace, I flipped off the lamp light, and pulled the covers over the both of us. Once we were comfortably under, she cuddle even tighter to me. She was so fucking warm, and soft, and absolutely perfect.

Holding her extra tight, tighter than usual, she slowly fell asleep. I on the other hand, did _not_ fall asleep. I was way too keyed up for that, and had too much things running through my mind. Throughout the whole night, I could have sworn I heard Bella's quiet sniffling; I'd always bring her even closer to me when I heard it.

She was also very talkative. Usually, when Bella would talk in her sleep, it'd make me smile. Not tonight. Tonight, it broke my fucking heart. "Edward, don't leave me, please, we can't be apart." Often times, she'd say these things so clearly, that it were as if she was awake. "No, I love you. I miss you so much. . ." I wondered how vivid her nightmares were. Were they really that close to reality's future? God, I fucking hoped not.

I hoped that, somehow, Carlisle would let me go with. That somehow, we'd still be able to be together. Fuck the press, I didn't give a shit what they thought about us. I just needed _my_ Bella. Ten days probably didn't seem that long to anyone else. To me, to me it was for-fucking-ever. It'd kill me so much, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to take it.

I was more concerned about Bella though. I knew she wanted to be brave, and do it on her own. That's why she agreed with Carlisle; she thought it'd be best. I knew her better than that though. Really, she'd be just as torn up as me. Or worse. Every step of the way, she's had me with her. We've always been together since we first met, and we've been each other's safe harbors. Would ten days suddenly change that?

I was scared shitless as to how she was going to handle all of this. I imagined that they'd both be staying at Carlisle's brother's place. They were like my "step"- relatives that lived in Phoenix. I had only met them a couple of times, and had been too big of an asshole to actually get acquainted with them. I _was_ a little uneasy about their eldest sun though. He was a year or two younger than me, and I out of anyone should know how a boy's hormones work at _that_ age.

I'd be sure to warn Carlisle about that. The last thing Bella needed was the stress of having some young, teenage boy stalk her. The last thing _I_ needed was to_ worry_ about a young, teenage boy stalking her. I shivered, and groaned silently. They better be on two, completely different fucking levels.

Eventually, I fell asleep that night.

Friday was uneventful. The only thing that kept the day from being a complete fucking drag, was knowing that it _was_ Friday, and Bella and I would have the whole weekend together. No Charlie, no nothing. We had never had that before, and I had big plans. So to say I was excited was an understatement. I was fucking thrilled.

I did my best not to think about what would happen in six days, and put my all into being the best boyfriend possible. I had to admit, without all of the normal stress, it was quite enjoyable. Not that anything with Bella _wasn't_ enjoyable. It was just more easy this way.

In fact, Bells didn't even through a fit when I told her I was taking her to the movies tonight. I mean, that's what all normal couples did, right? Granted, we _were_ doing things a little backwards, but you had to start somewhere.

She was letting Alice and Rose dress her up and make her all pretty for me, as they had put it. She was already pretty. She was always fucking beautiful. But, I never did complain when they _did_ decide to play Barbie doll. They have yet to disappoint. Nor has Bella.

I waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs, checking the clock on my phone. The movie started in an hour exactly; We had about a forty-five minute drive to get there. They had to be done with her soon, or I'd need to steal her away from them. I didn't have to wait much longer though, because I heard little Alice approach the top of the stairs.

My eyes immediately narrowed when I saw her. "I swear to God, Alice," I hissed, "If you make me close my eyes. . ." I trailed off.

There Bella stood, at the top of the stairs.

She. Was. Beautiful.

I restrained my jaw from dropping to the floor. Her eyes met mine, and my favorite blush and smile combination showed. I smiled back crookedly and held out my hand as she stepped off the last step. She had heels on, causing my glance to travel up her legs and stay there for a moment longer than necessary.

Fuck, who was I kidding. I was ogling her as shamelessly as hell.

She had a mini-skirt on, revealing her long, ivory pale legs. Her shirt was a light blue, making her skin the most fucking amazing cream color. It was tight, and V-neck, and _oh_. Bless Alice's fucking heart. Bella was wearing a push-up bra, illustrating the perfection of her tits. Her hair was all shiny and curly, and she had a small amount of make-up applied to her eyes and lips.

She was sexy as fuck, and I knew I'd be going to hell tonight. Because as soon as she had walked down those stairs, I knew that there was no way in fuck that my hands would be able to keep to themselves. She was smirking now, and the look on her face told me she was thinking the same thing.

I pulled her to me, kissing her neck tenderly before wrapping an arm tightly around her waist. Without saying anything, we walked towards the door. Bella stumbled a little in her heels, but for once, I didn't feel sorry for her. If I had to deal with attempting to walk with a fucking hard-on, she could manage some small, high-heels. It was only fair, right? Right.

The drive went well. I only pulled over to kiss Bella twice. I considered it success. . .compared to the other things on my mind that I wanted to do to her in that outfit. But, I restrained myself. I felt pretty fucking proud about it too. She, on the other hand, was just smug. I didn't know why, and I didn't ask, but every time I'd glance at her, she'd be wearing this little smirk.

The movie went well too. Sure, if you were to ask me now what it was about, I wouldn't have a fucking clue. Right off the bat, my attitude had been 'fuck this movie'. Apparently, it had been Bella's as well. Actually, I don't think either of us remembered the title as soon as we arrived home. Hell, I didn't even know what movie we were seeing in the first place.

There was a lot of making out. There was a lot of inappropriate touching. Hell, I almost fucked her in the damn movie theater. _But_, I wouldn't do that to her. I reminded myself that we were going to take this physical shit slowly, and that it would be _special_ when we did do it.

Right now, was _not_ the time for sex. I knew that much. Bella had been through so much shit lately, it'd be unfair to take advantage of her that way. Plus, I had no way of knowing if she was ready or not. I knew she _wanted_ it. I just didn't know if she was actually ready.

The truth was, I was just making the best of a shitty situation.

Saturday, the six of us opted for a beach trip. Bella, was actually the one to come up with it. We all crammed into Em's jeep and drove out to La Push. The only one who had ever been there was Bella, so I guess you could say that it was an adventure trying to get there. Em, Bella, and I sat in the front, while the other three piled in the back.

"When do I turn, Bella?" Emmett wined loudly, getting impatient. We had been driving for almost an hour, and gotten lost numerous times. "You know, you promised this would only be a twenty minute drive."

She sat up straight in her seat, crossing her arms. "Stop complaining. If you'd just listen to directions, we'd be there already. Now, watch for this big rock off to the side of the road. There's a small back road that should get us there." Emmett was about to complain again when she held up a finger to stop him, giving him a murderous look. "If you say anything else, I'm driving."

I couldn't help but smirk. Watching anyone alone talk back at Emmett was hilarious. What made it even funnier was that it was Bella. The contrast in size had me laughing as well. "Fuck off," I heard him mutter to all of our chuckles as we continued aimlessly driving. Eventually, we got there.

I had to admit, I wasn't exactly the "beach type", but once the sand volleyball began, and the water fights started, I couldn't help but to think of how fucking fun it was. Of course, I had never seen Bella in a bikini before. Well, I had never really seen Bella in anything _but_ normal clothes. So, yeah, I was a little. . .overwhelmed? Her skimpy swimsuit was showing a lot more than I had planned to see of her that day.

_And God knows that was distracting_.

Honestly? I was just glad that I kept my hands to myself most of the day. _Most_.

Bella had a girl's night – all three of them camping out in Rosalie's room. I wanted to protest against it; at how little time we had before she'd be leaving, but how could? When she was _this_ happy, how could I take her away from her fun because _I _wasn't with her? It was hard, but I managed.

Unfortunately, the next day did not go so peachy. I woke up early, anxious to start another day, when Carlisle had came to me at breakfast. Bella wasn't up yet, and so he gave me the confidential information that Bella's check-up was today. Of course, that news pissed me off more than it was fucking believable. But, what made me want to punch a fist through the wall was the fact that he was making _me_ tell her. Fucking traitor.

I could just see the scenario in my head. Bella, wide awake and chipper for the day ahead of us. She'd hug me tightly, and I'd kiss her and tell her how much I loved her. Just like everyday. Then, there'd be a comfortable silence as I watched her eat her cereal. And finally, being the ray of fucking sunshine I was, I'd give her the wonderful news. _Woo_.

And, just like my prediction, that's exactly what went down.

"Bella," I sighed, finally, not being able to bear hiding it any longer. "Your appointment's today." She stared up from her bowl at me, wide-eyed and panicked. "You know, the whole check-up thing?" I added hesitantly, afraid to break her. That's all it would take – one word.

There was a long, painful moment of silence as we exchanged a silent conversation. I heard an exhausted sigh leave her mouth, and she looked back down at her cereal, not really eating it anymore. "Okay," She said in a small voice, "I knew this would happen eventually," She muttered quietly to herself. Then, looking up at me, "What time?"

Her answer had surprised me. I was seriously expecting the tears to come, but they never did. Was this just her trying to be brave? She didn't have to prove anything to me. No one could _always_ be brave. I would know.

"In about an hour." I answered automatically. "Carlisle's coming, but you and I can just take the Volvo." She smiled a little at that, but not enough.

I reached across the table and took on of her hands in both of mine. "It'll be okay, Bells." I whispered, forcing a smile as best I could. She nodded back at me, finishing the rest of breakfast without a word.

In the car, it was the same. Not a word. I was a little worried about her, about what could have been possibly running through her mind, but I didn't say anything. I was afraid if I did, I'd just get pissed off at myself, and end up fucking this whole day up. Granted, the day was already fucked, considering it was Sunday, and school would be ahead of us. But, I wouldn't make it any worse.

So, overall, this whole fiasco took up the whole, fucking day. I held Bella's hand whenever I could, I stole a kiss whenever possible. Really, the whole thing was completely frustrating though. Bella would be lead to one room, 'inspected' – I hated that word – lead back to the waiting room, then wait another hour for the next 'inspector' to come.

By five o'clock, I was completely fed up with anyone who looked at me. In fact, I was damn close to getting kicked out of that motherfucking building numerous times. The first was when they said I couldn't come with for the brain inspection. Whatever the hell _that_ was. I'm not even ashamed to say that I threw a large, toddler-like fit.

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Cullen," Kate, the nurse at the moment, looked at me apologetically. "We don't allow anyone but the patients and doctors in the room." Something told me that she was lying._

_I huffed, crossing my arms. I didn't want to deal with this shit today. "You don't get it," I gritted through my teeth. "That's just not going to fucking work for me, okay?" She gave me a displeased look, along with the other few nurses walking by. "We're like, a packaged deal."_

_Since, normally, I always got what I wanted when dealing with women, I just assumed that it was okay, and that there'd be no more further protest. Just like the rightful a-hole I am, I walked along through the doors, all righteous and shit._

_Unfortunately, one of the doctors in the area, noticed Kate and I's little 'disagreement', and decided to step in. He laid a hand on my shoulder, and pulled me back. Mistake. I turned around, ready to sock the fucking guy in the face, when Carlisle appeared. On the other shoulder, he put his hand, restraining me._

_I quickly backed down, hanging my head in regret. I was seriously about to take out a rich doctor. A rich doctor, whom, presumably owned a lot of money. Not that my family didn't; it was just that if it ended up going that far, I wouldn't want Carlisle to waist money and shit on me for no reason. Not after all he's done for me._

_Although I was completely unhappy with the situation, I stormed away, pacing outside of the building a couple of times before coming back inside. I got many dirty glances from workers and shit, but the only thing I could do to them was glare._

I sighed to myself, holding tightly to Bella's hand while the other was on the wheel. I was speeding, _way_ past the limit, but I seriously didn't give a fuck. I wanted to get home, after all day in the madhouse. Literally. I think, anymore time spent there, and I _would_ have gone mad.

So, the second time I threw a fit, was when I was dangerously close to getting kicked out of the hospital. Or state. Either way, it was pretty bad. Bad with good reason though. The nerve some people had these days.

_I was sitting next to Bella, staring boredly at the white, tiled ceiling. It had been, what, an hour in this dull room so far? How long could 'leg inspection' take? I sighed loudly, getting the attention of the nurse who was still working on damn paper work._

_Bella shifted in her seat, clearly impatient to get out as well. Finally, the nurse, Irina, looked up at the two of us through her low glasses. Expecting her to dismiss us, I stood up to leave. She cleared her throat, gesturing with a nod to sit back down. I groaned quietly to myself, slumping back into the seat._

_"Now, Bella," She said in a serious tone. "I want you to answer these questions honestly. I don't care how ridiculous you may think they are, but we need to be as thorough as possible here. Remember, answer no matter what." Bella nodded solemnly._

_Irina took out a new sheet of notes, reading off the first question. "I understand Edward and you are together, correct? Dating?" Both Bella and I nodded at the same time, not skipping a beat. "Very well." She said in a condescending tone._

_She stared at me for a moment, a somewhat disapproving stare, and turned back to Bella. "Has Edward ever demonstrated any type of. . .violence around you?"_

_I blanched. The very thought of it put me over the edge. Was this woman serious? How dare she ever think I'd _ever_ lay a hand on Bella in a hurtful manner. I glared at her. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." I clenched through my teeth._

_"Mr. Cullen," Irina said in a stern voice, "Please, do not interrupt Miss Swan. We need these answers." I continued to glared at her, and she glared right back at me. Fucking bitch. I muttered something about indignity under my breath before she turned back to Bella._

_Bella quickly shook her head, turning to beam at me. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't return the smile. I was too pissed at the moment. "Edward would never do that." She said, completely sure of herself._

_"Damn right I wouldn't." I mumbled, looking at the zipper on my jacket, zipping it up and down distractedly._

_"Very well." She repeated in a detached voice. I wanted to hit her. Seriously, I did. "Next question." She continued, adjusting her glasses. "Bella, I understand these signs of abuse are from your father, but. . ." She paused. She wouldn't. "Are any on of them possibly caused by Edward?" She did._

_"Un-fucking-believable." I said loudly, shaking my head, still not looking at either of them. I was trying to remain out of the conversation, but I couldn't help it. These questions were horse shit. This woman, was horse shit. And I am honest to say that I _rarely _refer to ladies as animal poop. Honestly._

_"Mr. Cullen," She said loudly, in a warning tone. Good. I hoped she was getting pissed._

_Bella was too, I could just tell by her tone. "Of course not. I told you, Edward would never do that. He's the most sweet, caring person I've ever met." The look on Irina's face told us that she was doubting Bella's words. I shook my head, refraining from saying anything else out-of-term._

_"Alright," She said in a tight voice. "Next question. And watch your language, Mr. Cullen." I snorted loudly, but she pretended to ignore it. "Do you consider Edward a bad influence?" I closed my eyes, took a deep, loud breath, and leaned my head back against the wall._

_In a curt, angry voice, I simply responded. "What the _fuck_ does that have to do with this inspection?" Emphasis on the 'fuck', only because it pissed her off. Once again, she ignored me, and turned to Bella. Her smile was forced, but I don't think Bella noticed it. This woman was whacked._

_How come, whenever her and I would end up in a hospital or some place like that, we'd always end up with the most fucked up nurses. My luck was a bitch. A big, fat, slutty bitch._

_"Of course I don't," Bella responded in a light tone. "Edward's helped me so much, how could he ever be a bad influence for me?" Then, making me proud and adding in, "Besides, I'm not a child. I can be influenced by whoever I want."_

_Yeah, listen to my girl, bitch._

_I could tell that Irina was fed up with us, but still, it seemed like she was concerned. For Bella? I think she was somehow worried about her. I didn't know why, but her next statement proved me to be right. It also proved that I could successfully slam my fist through the wall, and through to the next room in one punch. Cool, right? Not so much._

_"Bella," She said, her tone serious again, and somewhat caring. She completely disregarded me like a piece of trash, and basically pretended I wasn't in the room. "This is my own personal opinion, and I'm just telling you what I think here, okay?" Hesitantly, Bella nodded. "I don't think that Edward is right for you. I don't think that he's. . ." She paused and glanced at me, once again, completely disregarding me like shit. "Worthy. Good enough. Take your pick." She smiled politely._

The rest, well, the rest was pretty explanatory. . .obvious? Take your pick, I mocked her high voice in my head. I shuttered, just thinking about what a dreadful day it had been. I was honestly tired. Like, my eyelids couldn't stay open – _that_ tired. Even though it was only around five-thirty, I was more than ready to crawl into bed. The only question was; was _Bella_ feeling that way?

Today, after all said and done, all of her many injuries had been recorded into files, both medical and lawful. Pictures had been taken, things had been written down. Along with a whole load of medical shit that I didn't understand. Carlisle had came and told us that we had more than enough evidence of signs of abuse, and the only thing left to do was for Bella to tell the stories.

I wasn't positive, but I could have sworn Bella's pace went even paler than normal when he had told her that. _Tell the stories_. Sure, he made it sound so easy. Oh, easy, definitely. You know, she only had to relive hell with all excruciating details along the way. Yep, no biggy.

I think he still wasn't too thrilled at me for busting through that damn wall, and having to pay for the damages. I knew he understood why I did it, and felt remorseful, but either way, he was still a little pissed. I could tell.

As I pulled up to a red light, I turned towards Bella. We were only a mile or two from the house. "Look, Bells," I said, my tone apologetic. "I really wanted to do something special with you tonight. . ." I sighed, "But honestly? I'm so tired, I can barely keep my damn eyes open."

Her quiet laugh sounded like bells throughout the car, sending me into an even deeper trance. She yawned, looking fucking adorable while doing so. "Me too." She smiled, relieved. "Trust me, me too."

No one bugged us, or asked us how the day went. I didn't want to tell them; they didn't want to know. Bella changed into her pajamas – _My_ pajamas, and crawled into bed. I followed shortly behind her, stripping down to a tank top and boxers. It had been almost a week since we began sleeping together, and it just became more comfortable every night. I wondered if it'd ever change; our sleeping arrangements.

I hoped to God not. I'd die. Literally.

Bella snuggled into my chest as always, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her, protectively. I didn't give a shit that she was already safe without me – I _needed_ to be her protector. I just, had to. It was my obligation, not by force, but by choice.

I heard her sigh quietly, and pull back from me a few inches. "I've been thinking," She began quietly. Normally, when she said things like that, her words never lead to anything good. It was usually some self-struggle or inner-destruction shit. I hated it. I hated the sound of it. Her next words surprised me though.

"I'm not going to be here for Valentine's Day." She said in a sad tone. "We're not going to be together." I knew this, how could I not? I just hadn't wanted to bring it up yet. Of course I was fucking depressed about it, but what could I do?

"Yeah," I said dryly, "I know."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, "I really wanted to go."

"Yeah," I repeated, trying to hide my disappointment. "Me too." Damn, my responses were just getting lamer and lamer as the night dragged on. Maybe it _was_ a good idea to go to bed now. No, now I couldn't. Now that Bella had aroused many unwanted thoughts in my head, we had to finish this conversation. There was nothing worse than trying to get to sleep with too many thoughts.

"You know," I said, suddenly thinking of something. "We could reschedule the trip?" I hedged, not sure if that's really what she wanted or not. I knew that Al, Em, Rose, and Jazz wouldn't mind. Definitely not. Not after all the shit we've been through lately. "I mean, if you want? . . ."

I could practically feel her huge smile against my chest. I wanted to see it really badly. God, did she really want to do it that badly? Of course, it was nothing compared to what _I _wanted, I knew that, but come on? Sense when did my innocent, quiet girlfriend decide to give away her card?

Because, seriously. It was obvious that that was the only reason this whole trip was ever scheduled. _Sex_. You don't fly out to California with your girlfriend alone, and _not_ get it on. It just, doesn't work that way. But, I was still hesitant as to if this should happen yet. A lot of shit's happened lately, obviously, and I didn't know if now was the right time.

Maybe I was completely wrong though. Maybe now _was_ the perfect time. Who knew? Maybe she needed it. Not as a distraction, or trying to prover herself. But maybe, it was really _time_ for us to be together that way. It could have been a need. And of course, I couldn't read her fucking mind, so I had no clue what to think.

I yawned loudly, seriously tired. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, Bells, okay?" If I didn't get any sleep now, tomorrow would be hell. Truth was, I wanted to convince Bella to skip the whole rest of the week with me. I needed to have as much time with her as possible.

I knew I was being over-dramatic, but shit, I didn't know how I was going to live without her for ten days.

We did talk about it the next day. We decided that we'd figure it out when she got back. Another day passed, another tick on the clock closer to her departure. Three days left. We had three days left. And I didn't know what the fuck I was suppose to do with myself.

Bella continued to try and remain calm about all of this, but I think she was having a harder time than me. Each night, we'd kiss a little longer. We'd hold each other a little tighter. We'd say 'I love you' whenever we got the chance.

We were not ready.

We were falling apart.

School was worse than ever. We were forced to go by Carlisle and Esme, and we couldn't protest. Sitting there though, and knowing that this wasted time could be spent doing so many other things; it was beyond frustrating. It was fucking maddening.

After those first few days where Bella came back to school, everyone went back to ignoring both her and I. Well, the guys at least. God only knows why those damn girls _continued_ to go for me. I almost felt bad that they were wasting their time. Almost. I was just glad that everyone was leaving her alone. I could only ask for so much; and that's really all I needed at the moment.

Actually, I needed more time, but I knew I wasn't going to get it. So, I made the best of what I had, even though it was very little. Very, fucking little. Like, I was literally _out_ of time. The next day went passed, and tomorrow night, she'd be leaving.

My world, would be gone.

God dammit, I sounded like a fucking sap-face. The melodramatic-ness was getting old fast. Seriously; it wouldn't be long until I started writing damn operas. I was probably heading down the road of hopeless romantics, and I did _not_ want to go there. Ever. Instead, I kept my clingy thoughts and words to a minimum, pretending that everything was okay. It wasn't, but I had to try. For everyone.

That night, we were all gathered together at the dinner table. Bella sat across from me, and in between my parents. The way they kept staring at me was pretty fucking awkward, and uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. It was like they were _waiting_ for me to say something insane.

I wasn't going to argue though. Not anymore. How could I? Carlisle was right, as much as I didn't want him to be. This was serious. Once again, as much as I wanted otherwise, this would be something she had to do alone. Or, at least, without me. As much as it would kill me, I knew it was the way it had to be.

"Our flight leaves at 7 tomorrow evening," Carlisle stated calmly. I set down my fork, and pushed my plate away. Of course he had to just bring it up, didn't he? "Bella and I will be leaving here around five-thirty, because there are unfortunately no airports nearby." Bella was looking down at her food, and I stared at her until she looked.

When her eyes met mine, they were watering. "Don't cry," I mouthed to her. She blinked quickly a couple of times and nodded to me. Then, she nodded towards Carlisle. Esme wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and gave her an assuring squeeze.

No more on the subject was said that night. Everyone was solemn, and the mood was seriously disturbing. Maybe it wasn't just me that was being dramatic; I was relieved at the thought.

Sure, ten days would seem like forever. But, at least she wouldn't be _gone_ forever. She'd be back. And really, ten days was nothing. At least, that's what I was trying to convince myself.

By the time night rolled around, Bella fell asleep next to me on the couch while we were watching a movie. Silently, I carried her up the stairs and into my room. When I laid her on the bed, I wasn't sure if I should wake her or not – Did she want to change? Did she want to sleep in? Important questions.

We weren't going to school tomorrow. I didn't argue with them about going with them to Phoenix. I did argue with them on going to school that day. Of course, like every argument, I won. When I began to spread the covers over her, and headed for the bathroom, I heard her whimper in her sleep.

"No, no please!" She cried out, thrashing in her sheets. I darted to her side, afraid she had waken up. Her eyes were still shut though, and I knew she was having a nightmare. Gently, I tried to shake her out of it.

"Stop, please!" She yelled violently. "Please, stop hurting me!" Her words were coming out slurred, and incoherent, but I knew what she was dreaming about. _Who_ she was dreaming about. I remained calm though, and continued to try and wake her.

Suddenly, I remembered something.

I reached over to the wall and picked up my guitar from off the floor. Quietly, I sat down on the bed, to the side of her. Leaning down to kiss her forehead once, I began to play her song. _Our_ song. Like on cue, her mumbling and screams quieted. She continued to move around restlessly, but less violently now.

I shut my eyes momentarily, letting the sounds and chords fill the room. It was only a matter of time that she was completely still, and made no noise. I could have sworn in the darkness, I even saw a slight smile on her face. I smiled widely, stopping my playing and getting up to change.

Once I was dressed and ready for bed, I crawled in next to her, immediately clinging to her side. My arms were tighter around her than they'd ever been, yet still comfortable. Even in her sleep, she nuzzled herself further into me, as by instinct. I inhaled her hair, trying to remember if anything had ever smelt so good.

As I was about to shut my eyes, I heard a whisper. "Thank you, Edward." I wasn't even sure I heard it at first. But I knew she had said it, because the moment afterwards, she leaned up to kiss my neck, keeping her lips there for a long while.

It was the last time she'd be in my bed for over a week. I already felt empty. Completely, and totally empty. I'd deal with it though. I'd deal with the pain, because really, there was nothing else for me to do.

"I love you." I whispered into her skin. Because they were the truest words I knew.

Bella returned Alice's vicious embrace, squeezing her tightly. In fact, I thought that little Alice would break one of Bella's bones. That would fucking suck. I understood it though; Bella was Alice's best friend. Alice loved Bella probably as much as I did. "I'll miss you so much!" Alice sang sadly into Bella's shoulder. "After you get back, we're going to shop until your feet fall off."

Bella chuckled, nodding her head wildly. So far, there had been no tears. I only hoped I could hold mine back. God dammit, no. I was a man. I would not cry. No I would not. Fucking ridiculous, is what I was.

I watched both Emmett and Jazz take their time to say goodbye, each embracing Bells in a warm hug. At first, I almost thought Emmett would cry. Then, I remembered that _I_ was the one blowing all of this out of proportion. Fuck, it was only ten days. "Bye, squirt," He laughed as he pulled away. "I'll miss your bright red face, and your falling." Bella narrowed her eyes, grimacing while smirking. "I'm serious," He repeated. "You amuse me."

I rolled my eyes, as did she, and after everyone had had their chance with her, they all left the room. God bless their fucking souls, because I sure as hell didn't want them to see this.

As soon as they were all out of the living room, I pulled her to me, crushing my lips to hers. This wasn't the first time we had said goodbye today. Actually, every hour we'd have a ritual like this. It was different this time though. This time, it was the real thing. She was really leaving. I buried my hands in her hair, pulling her face even close to mine.

She kissed me back with so much intenseness, it almost knocked me over. That was really saying a lot; She was only what, a hundred pounds? One-ten? She was tiny. I was huge. Standing at a tall, six-two.

Fuck, why the hell was I comparing our heights right now? I was trying to say goodbye, god dammit all.

I cleared my mind completely, when suddenly, I heard her sniffle. Ah, shit. I knew this was coming. There was no avoiding it now, no escaping fate anymore. I pulled my lips away from her face, both hands cupping each of her cheeks.

Tears began streaming out of her eyes as she looked up at me with the saddest expression. "Fuck, Bells," I whispered. "You're going to make me cry to." She tried to smile, but couldn't. With my thumbs, I wiped away the water from her face.

"Listen to me," I ordered softly. "You have to do this."

"I don't know if I can." Her voice cracked, and she looked away from my face.

"Look at me," I couldn't stand to not see her eyes. If I had to go without them for ten days, I needed to scan them into my memory for as long as I could. They were big, brown, and wet. They were also deep. They were always deep – showing me into her soul. My thumbs stroked light circles on her cheeks, and her eyes met mine once again. "Be brave." I told her quietly. "You have to be brave."

She shut her eyes for a second and nodded. "I'm going to miss you so much," She whispered. I rested my forehead against hers, and removed one of my hands from her cheek to grab one of her hands.

"Me too." Still managing to keep my face dry. "Trust me. I'll miss you so fucking much, it'll probably kill me." I meant to say it was somewhat of a joke, but neither of us smiled. Instead, I leaned down to press my lips against hers once again.

"I love you." I said surely, into her mouth. "I always have. I always will." I was going to shut up now. Dramaticward was coming out now, and _no one_ wanted that. Trust me.

"Bye." She said sadly, pulling away. The word fucking stung, but I reminded myself it was only temporary. She'd be back, I reminded myself. She'd be back.

Less than a minute later, I watched as Carlisle and her pulled out of the driveway. I had remembered to give Carlisle what I needed to, and before I knew it, his black Mercedes was out of sight. No one was anywhere near me, giving me my space. I wasn't sure if I should be mad, or thankful about that.

The sky opened up, and a loud crack of thunder sounded in the distance. I almost smiled to myself. She loved thunderstorms more than anything. I shut my eyes, feeling the rain began to fall on my face.

In that instant, I felt alone.

Completely, utterly alone.

* * *

***lets out breath*  
Well wasn't **_**that**_** fun?  
*shakes head*  
Not so much.**_**please**_** don't hate me.  
I promise, this week, I'll respond to every single one.**

**Comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated, as always.  
Speaking of reviews. I AM SO SORRY.  
I didn't respond to a singe review in the last chapter, because as I sad before, I was so busy, it's been unreal. Please, please,**

**Just to show my apology, I'm going to give you guys something.  
Well. Kinda. So, you've all had some great guesses for the new story title, and I've enjoyed hearing them, so I'll give you the real one.**

**My new story, will be called. . .  
"The Runaways"**

_**Reviews are better than Dramaticward!(:**_


	27. Wherever You Will Go: The Calling

**Whew. Thought I'd never get this chapter out, did you?  
Well, here it is.  
Hopefully there won't be anymore fail from FF.  
Sorry about that, by the way.  
As I told many of you, FanFiction experienced a glitch.  
That's why most of you weren't able to read the chapter at first.  
BUT. I really hope it doesn't happen this time.**

**This chapter's song is** _**Wherever You Will Go – The Calling**_**  
Um, yeah. Pretty self-explanatory.  
No matter where each of them are, they will always be together.  
Chessy, I know, but still true.  
Meh. I'm a fucking sap-queen.**

* * *

**BPOV**

I stared out the window, towards the bleak sky. A crack of thunder sounded in the distance, and I shut my eyes. Emptiness. It flashed through me and stung worse than lightening would ever have. Escaping reality's nightmare, I shut my eyes, and felt sleep take me.

I woke up to Carlisle gently shaking my shoulder. I blinked my eyes, taking in my surroundings. We were in the parking lot of the small airport. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, indicating that we were suppose to board our plane in the next half hour.

Not saying a word, or even looking at anybody, I made my way through the small crowds of people. I felt numb. I felt nothing.

It wasn't just the knowledge that Edward and I would be apart that long, though, it was certainly a huge part of it. It was also the fact that my memories and horrific past would have to be retold by me. As if it wasn't bad enough that I had to suffer through it once. Charlie would be there. The monster. And for once, Edward couldn't help me through this.

We boarded the plain early, and I settled comfortably into my double-seat. Carlisle had insisted on buying two tickets for me, and I wanted to hug him so badly for it. He was like Edward, in a way. He knew what my limits were.

As we took off, and I stared out into the dark sky, my eyes drifted shut once again.

I didn't mind; If I stayed awake, I'd be forced to face things I did not want to. Dreaming was always a way to escape hell, even for just a moment. That's exactly what I did.

It was really late when we landed, so immediately after we retrieved our bags, Carlisle rented a car and we headed for the hotel. Once we got there, he handed me my own key, and told me he'd check on me in the morning. We weren't staying Carlisle's place until Sunday. That was the one day off from the trial we had.

Carlisle wanted to make sure I was comfortable enough with it before he had asked me. Another wonderful thing about this man. I wondered if Edward had told him all of these things in advance. I bet he did.

The first day of trial wasn't until three-thirty tomorrow, but Carlisle still wanted to sort out information and practice a few more times. We had gone over this stuff so many times, I was probably talking about it in my sleep.

Once I was inside the spacious room, I remembered about my phone and quickly turned it on. A new 4 new messages flashed across the screen, and I quickly opened them. The first one was from Edward.

_I miss your smile_.

The second one was also from Edward, and I clicked to open it.

_I can't fall asleep. I miss you too much. Everything hurts._

I smiled at the letters written across my phone screen as I tried not to cry. I felt the same way. Exactly the same way. I read the next one which was also from him.

_I fucking love you._

The last one, however, was not from Edward. Alice's name flashed across the screen, and I curiously opened it up.

_He's going insane. I swear._

I chuckled quietly to myself. Even for a second, it felt nice to feel like I was still with them. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand. Expecting it to be Edward, I quickly flipped it open without even checking the name.

"Hi, Bells!" She sang from the other line. I rolled my eyes as Alice jumped eagerly into a conversation without even letting me get a word in. As enjoyable as Alice was, I had to admit I was disappointed Edward wasn't the one I was talking to.

"Okay, so seriously," Her tone immediately turned grim. "It's like someone died around here, I swear." I let her go on, not saying anything. "You've only been gone for what, four hours? And he's already broken something." There was an obvious eye roll in her statement.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She let out a stressed laugh. "Yeah," She sighed. "He got a little pissed at Jasper, so he threw his laptop out the window. Whoops, make that two things. The window sort of shattered in the process." Her tone wasn't at all surprised. "Jazz doesn't care though. He wanted a new one anyways."

I let out a loud, surprised laugh into the receiver. "That's my Edward." I sighed, shaking my head.

Alice laughed on the other end as well. "Bella, I'm sorry, but ten days is a _long_ time. If he acted like this _today_, imagine how he will be tomorrow. Or in a week. I don't think I'll be able to stand it! All he does is mope!"

"Is it that bad?" I asked, sort of in disbelief.

"Oh yeah." She confirmed quickly, "It's bad. I know you'll hate me for it, but I think I'm gonna need to have some sort of intervention with him soon. You know? Slap him around a bit." I thought she was kidding at first, but then realized her tone was completely serious.

I sighed, rolling my eyes once again. "Do whatever you need, Al."

"You know I will," She laughed, suddenly becoming very serious. "That's not why I called though. Bella," She paused. "Are you okay? How are you holding up, I mean."

I wasn't going to lie to Alice; she didn't deserve that. "I feel like crap," I told her honestly. "I feel pathetic, and numb, and empty." Just like how I felt before Edward came along into my life.

"I know, Hun, believe me, I know." Her voice was sympathetic, and assuring. "Trust me though, Carlisle's a good man. He _will_ do everything in his absolute power to make this over as quickly as possible." I tried to muster a smile for some reason, and nodded to myself at the truth of her words. I believed her. I believed _him_.

"Well, the _other_ reason I called, actually," She said, more happier now. "Was so that you could talk to your darling here." My face immediately lit up at the thought of hearing his voice.

"See, he fell asleep on the couch – God knows why this early – and, I figured you both really wanted to talk to each other, being the saint _I _am." I could hear her grinning on the other end of the line.

"Alice," I said in amazement, "There will be a special place for you in heaven some day." She laughed loudly in agreement, and I could hear her in the background walking somewhere.

She cupped her hand over the phone, and I heard the muffled voices. "Wake up, looser," She said irritatedly, I was assuming to Edward. "Seriously. Get your ass awake. Now." Alice was hilarious, whether she tried or not. I could just barely hear Edward's loud groans of annoyance, and heard him mutter a small string of profanities at her.

"What the fuck do you want, shorty?" I knew by his tone that he must've been rubbing his face and trailing a hand through his hair. I also knew I was right.

"Fine," Alice sneered, un-cupped her hand from the phone so that I could hear more clearly now. "I'll just tell your beautiful girlfriend what an asshole you are, and why you didn't want to talk to her." I heard her musical, taunting laughter and then footsteps, indicating her prancing away.

I heard louder footsteps, a loud squeal, and then, I heard heaven. "Hi Bells," He said breathlessly, yet anxiously. I heard Alice's loud chuckles from wherever the hell she was.

"Edward." I smiled so widely, my face hurt. Then, it crumpled up in pain, because I knew it'd be a while before I saw him again. That made it hurt even more. In a shaky voice, I choked out, "How are things?" What a dumb question.

He let out a low, stressed laugh. "You're not fooling me, Bella," He said seriously. "Tell me what's wrong." And then, I just burst out into tears. Full-on, loud-sobbed tears.

He let me cry for over five minutes straight, occasionally saying assuring things. When my tears slowed slightly, and my wild gasps came out more normal, I told him everything on my mind. "I know you said I'm suppose to be brave, and that I can do this, but I can't, Edward." I cried softly, "I can't do it without you. You're not here to glue me together at the moment, and I don't know what to do anymore!" My voice rose an active with hysteria.

"Well shit," I heard him mutter quietly. "Fuck." That one word, that one signature word, let me know that he was feeling the exact same way as I was. "Dammit," He whispered to either me or himself. "When's the next fucking flight to Arizona?"

I finally pulled myself together. "No," I told him in a stern voice. Then, a little quieter. "No. I can't do it, but I have to. It's just life." I heard him mutter something about how much life sucked on the other hand, and agreed halfheartedly.

After I had said my "I love you" and "talk to you soon", I hung up. He had wished me luck for the first day tomorrow, assuring me I could do it. I disagreed. Of course, I didn't tell him that though.

Sleep was absolutely impossible. By the time it was all said and done, I probably got around three hours. Crazy. Absolutely, impossibly crazy. I couldn't help it. I didn't have my personal blanket with me. What could you expect? There was only so much I could survive, and _this_, this I couldn't. I had gotten too used to the idea of him protecting me.

I should have known in the end, it would come back and bite me in the ass. The fact that I couldn't do anything without him was completely pathetic. Pathetic, but true.

Apparently, I couldn't even sleep anymore without him.

A little after I ate lunch, around twelve, Carlilse came to my room, ready for rehearsal. I had been dreading this all morning, and groaned when I heard his quiet rasps on the door. "Good morning, Bella." He greeted me pleasantly as he stepped inside. "How was your night?"

I grimaced slightly at the memory, and I'm sure he noticed. He gave me a grim nod, letting me know that he understood my dilemma. If only he knew all of it. If only he felt a hundredth of what I felt, then he'd truly know. I never wanted to force that on anyone though. Anyone who loved and supported me, at least.

We spent a little over an hour and a half working on what I was suppose to say, when I was suppose to say, and all the other small details. In theory, it sounded easy. In reality, I knew it wouldn't be.

At two forty-five, we pulled into the court house. He wanted to arrive earlier because being punctual and on time meant that we cared a lot about this case. We did, but I didn't get why forty-five minutes early was going to help the case.

I didn't start getting nervous until ten minutes before, and Charlie was brought into the room. I avoided any type of eye contact with him, as Carlisle had warned, and stared down at my hands. I could feel his furious gaze on me though; the whole time we were waiting, it was there. His anger was with me, taunting at my very soul. I had to push it away though. I had to do this and be brave.

For the remainder five minutes, I closed my eyes and imagined Edward with me. He was holding me tightly, stroking my hair and telling me how much he loved me. He was assuring me how amazing I was, and how he knew I could do this. I was pulled out of my thoughts.

"Alright, we shall began." The judge cleared her throat loudly, stepping up to the podium. I just noticed now how full the courtroom was. It was really surprising. Maybe some of these people would be on my side. Maybe they wouldn't. "The Swan-Abuse Case," She announced, "Day one of a ten day procedure."

"Will the first witness from each party be called from the stands," She proceeded, taking out and organizing some files. As planned, Carlisle stood up gracefully and walked to the podium to the left of the judge. Presumably Charlie's lawyer, got up and headed to the podium to the right of the judge.

They each did all of that honesty crap; putting their hands on the bible, promising to tell the truth. I had to admit, it was a little weird. I had seen it all happen in movies, and read it in books, but never had I expected to actually experience it. It was overwhelming.

"State your relationship," She told Carlisle sternly.

He cleared his throat. "Friend of Isabella's, and sometimes medical provider." He flashed me a very quick smile, and I grinned back at him. I would have probably laughed out loud if he would have said something like 'Isabella's boyfriend's father'. I was almost hoping he would. The judged nodded turning to Charlie's witness.

"Lawyer of Charlie Swan." He responded, not missing a beat. This guy kind of scared me. Not appearance wise, but mental-wise. He seemed like the kind of lawyer who, when hired, didn't loose his case. I wonder where Charlie came up with the money to pay him.

The first day in whole, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In total, it lasted around two hours. Including the recesses we had in between.

I hadn't needed to say a word yet, and neither had Charlie. Carlisle had prattled on about many of my important medical records, going over all of the minor and major things that had happened in the past. It wasn't for debate yet, but only for them to take in my records and import things in that nature. That's mostly all of what had happened.

By the time we were able to leave, I was more bored than anything. I knew that it wouldn't be like this all of the time though. I knew that, in a matter of time, I'd have to drag my butt up there, and tell everyone everything. I only hoped that I wouldn't have to for a while yet.

The next day was similar. More medical things were talked over, and neither Charlie and I were yet to be called to the front. Carlisle was amazing. It was official.

I had called Edward a few times, keeping him and his family up to date with everything going on here. He was as happy as I was that I hadn't needed to say anything yet. The conversations we had were always kept light after the first one had happened. Only small, cute questions and statements were said, and that was more than alright with me. It also just made me miss him even more.

On day three, Sunday, our check-out time was noon. I had gathered all of my things together and was suppose to meet Carlisle down in the lobby. We drove to his brother's house in silence, and when we pulled in the long driveway, I wasn't surprised at all that this house was just as big as the Cullen's.

We were greeted at the door by a friendly, worn-down looking man. This must've been Carlisle's _older_ brother. They didn't look very similar, but then again, sometimes siblings didn't. "Isabella," He shook my hand warmly. "My name's Billy. I'm so sorry about what happen to you." His eyes were genuine as I nodded my thanks.

We stepped inside the house, and a boy around my age took my bags from my hands. I stared up at his face, realizing he was a good foot and a half taller than me. He was tan, and his hair was to his shoulders. He sent me a warm smile, and I returned it hesitantly. "I'm Jacob," He told me, holding out his massive hand for me to shake. I did, awkwardly shaking it back.

Jacob offered to show me to my room as Carlisle caught Billy up to speed. We walked up two flights on their huge, spiral staircase, not saying a word. Jacob was practically skipping with excitement, though I couldn't imagine why. He was the complete opposite of his cousin. Well, step cousin. Then again, they weren't really related. I wondered why Edward had never mentioned him.

We walked into a massive room, elegant and very detailed in decoration. He cleared his throat. "This is your room for the week," He smiled at me. "Make sure to make yourself at home."

I scanned my eyes across the room. There was a large bed in the middle, even bigger than Alice's – which I thought was impossible. There was also big, elegant drawers aligned with the walls. The window doors opened up onto a balcony, revealing beautiful scenery. It was amazing. It was empty with just me.

I walked over and sat on the bed, suddenly exhausted. He stood there, and I could tell that was wasn't about to leave yet. "Thank you so much," I tried hinting, really just wanting to be alone. Actually, I didn't want to be alone, but the one person I wanted with me wasn't here.

He walked over and sat next to me on the bed, leaving a few feet of space in between us. Thank God. I didn't want to have to punch this boy if I didn't need to. "So, you're Edward's friend, huh?" He asked, fiddling with his hands like I always did.

Jacob was handsome – I had to give him that. But, he had _nothing_ on Edward. Nothing.

I nodded, not helping but to smile and correct him. "Yeah, Edward's my boyfriend." I wanted to sound confident about it, but all that came out was a shaky breath, indicating how much I missed him.

He acted as if I hadn't said anything at all. "I never really talk to him." He told me, his voice tightening just a little. "He was an ass to me when I tried." He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "He was always so damn angry. He hates the world." Instantly, I narrowed my eyes.

Who did he think he was? He had _no idea_ what Edward had been through. He was basing his opinion off of what everyone else did as well. No one ever gave him a chance. It wasn't fair – I wanted to scream and hit something. Why did everyone always have to be so judgmental of him? If only he knew. If only _they_ knew. I did the first thing that flashed into my mind. I got defensive.

"You don't even know him," I snapped curtly, turning to glare at him. "You can't say crap like that."

He looked a little surprised at my reaction, but unshaken, none-the-less. "Sure I can," He chuckled, "I know enough about him to know that he's a douche." I gritted my teeth together. "Come on, Bella," He said as if we were long time friends. "You can do better than him, can't you?

Why did everyone keep saying that? It made me so mad, I could just spit. What pissed me off the most was that they had it all backwards. _He_ could do so much better than _me_. That's what everyone _should_ be saying. Left and right, all Edward got was bullshit said about him. It was so unfair.

Without thinking, I turned to him, brought my fist back, and punched him straight in the face. "Shit!" He hollered, clamping both hands over his nose. And just because once wasn't enough, I did it again.

I grimaced the second time my hand made contact with his hard face, positive that I had surely broke something. I let out a quiet moan, holding my fist tightly to my chest, clenching my teeth together in pain. I hadn't realized what a _hard_ face he had. He noticed my pain and smirked at me. Blood was dripping out of his nose as he continued to hold it. I half-smirked, half-grimaced back at him.

Then, I sighed, angry at what I had gotten myself into. I supposed I should go and find Carlisle; He'd need to fix my hand. Another thing he'd need to do for me. I was really regretting punching him twice. Yet, I couldn't bring my self to be _that_ ashamed. It was for Edward.

Without another word to Jacob, I swiftly walked out the door, down the long staircase, and towards where I thought Carlisle to be. My hand was hurting more by the second, but I fought the pain off, reminding myself that I'd had worse before.

XX

I sat in the middle of my gigantic bed, dialing up Edward's number with my good hand. It was embarrassing really, that I'd had to explain to both Carlisle and Billy why I broke my hand. Jacob also had to explain to Carlisle and Billy why his nose was broken. Carlisle had a lot of work that night – thank heavens he was a doctor.

At least I _did_ break Jacob's nose though. At least I caused him some damage. From now on, I decided to avoid him at all costs. Sure, they were providing wonderful hospitality, and Billy was very kind to me. But, his son, was a dick.

I smiled cheerfully as Edward's voice sounded on the other end. "Bella!" He exclaimed happily. "You don't know how fucking relieved I am to hear your voice. Seriously."

I let out a quiet laugh. "I'm happy to hear yours too." I informed him, smiling. "So what have you been up to lately?" I was avoiding my days activities, hoping I wouldn't have to share them. He pretended I hadn't asked my question, too eager to ask his own.

"You guys are at Billy's now, right?" There was a slight edge to his tone.

"Yeah," I mumbled unenthusiastically. "We're here."

I heard him release a tense sigh. There were a few moments of silence before he said anything. "So you've met Jacob then?" He asked curiously, almost sounding irritated. I bit my lip. Should I tell him? I was worried about his reaction. He tended to do some pretty crazy stuff when he was upset.

"Yeah," I answered quietly. "We've met." I knew my short, boring answers were beginning to frustrate him.

"And?" He hedged impatiently.

I sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. "I broke my hand." I told him simply.

"You broke your wha–?" He began in an irritated tone before realization dawned on him. "You broke your fucking hand?" He practically shouted into the phone. "How the hell did you do _that_?"

"I punched Jacob." I stated, unashamed.

"_Why_?" He asked in disbelief, then quickly added. "I mean, I'm fucking thrilled about it, but what made you decide to get violent?" His tone quickly changed from concern to amusement. I rolled my eyes, unsurprised that this news would cheer him up.

"He was talking crap about you." I told him in a quiet voice. "I didn't like it."

XX

Day Four.

Six days left.

Only six days; I could do it. I couldn't do it. I had never felt so broken in my life. Even though his voice was just a phone call away, the distance was killing me. The fact that I couldn't see him even if I wanted to upset me until no end. He had expressed the same feelings.

Today we had a court meeting at noon to discuss Charlie's side of the story, because he got to go first. It was now ten o'clock, and we had to leave in an hour. I was still laying in my bed, dreading getting up. I didn't want to hear his lies. I didn't even want to hear the truth. I just didn't want to hear my father's voice period. I wanted to go home.

I thoroughly avoided Jacob the whole morning, moping around the gigantic house, not doing a thing. Not even reading could cheer me up. What was worse was that Valentine's Day was tomorrow. _Fuck my life_.

When it was finally time to leave for the afternoon, Billy wished us a warm good luck while Jacob did the same. I smirked widely when I saw the bandage across his nose. I hoped it hurt. It was for Edward, after all.

Though Edward was pleased about the whole thing, he made me promise to never do something like that again. I agreed, but was worried that some day, I'd have to break the promise again. Would people ever discover what a truly good person Edward Cullen was? I sure hoped so. He deserved to be thought highly of. Not like he was being currently treated. It just killed me.

The day had been surprisingly uneventful. Courtrooms worked much differently than I had ever imagined. Much more boring, actually. I was happy about it though, none-the-less. So far, everything was going okay. At least, that's what I thought.

Charlie's lawyer had done most of the talking, while Charlie only said a mere few sentences. It was amazing how well that someone could twist a story without making it false or untrue. It was amazing, and it scared the crap out of me. I was beginning to have doubts, and beginning to worry that we wouldn't win this trial.

Most of the stuff his lawyer had explained had been about alcohol, and how powerfully influenced he had been under it. They also tried to throw out "conditions" he could have possibly been in, but I knew better. It wasn't my turn to talk yet though.

By the end of the day, I was extremely tired. We got home, I ate right away, and went into the living room to watch TV. It was still too early to go to bed, and I'd have to call Edward in a little bit.

Turns out, I ended up dozing off while lying on the couch. I was woken up to a strong, familiar pair of arms caring me upstairs. I blinked my eyes rapidly open, searching for his face. I was met by Jacob's intense eyes. I blanched when I realized it was him, and refrained from bursting out into tears. This was getting out of hand.

I wanted my Edward.

I was too tired to complain about him carrying me to my bed, so I let him. The moment my head touched the pillow, I immediately fell back to sleep. I was avoiding all thoughts possible on tomorrow. Tomorrow, it was my turn to talk.

I woke up in the morning to a quiet rasp on my door. Before responding, I glanced at the clock. It was already ten-thirty. Why had I been sleeping so in so much lately? "Come in," My voice was groggy from sleep.

Carlisle's friendly face appeared through the crack in the door, and a genuine smile spread across his face as he walked into the room and sat at the edge of the bed. I stayed under the covers, not fulling awake yet. "Morning." I grinned at him, a little confused. I didn't think the trial was until noon again.

He pulled something out of his pocket, revealing it to be a small, wrapped package. There was also a note attached to it. My heart skipped a beat, I was sure. "This is from Edward," He told me, "He wanted me to give you this today. There's also a letter." Without another word, he got up and left the room, leaving me alone.

I reached for the present, and the note the was neatly folded and taped to it. Carefully, I removed the tape so that I could unfold the letter. I opened it up, and Edward's signature script filled the page.

_Bella,  
I know I can't be there with you today, and it kills me to think of you all alone on Valentine's Day, but I wanted to sincerely let you know how much you mean to me. I'm not going to lie – I fucking suck at writing romantic letters, so sorry if this sucks.  
You're my reason, Bells. My purpose. I lie in my bed at night, just thanking God how lucky I am to have ever come across you. You're everything I could ever want, and more. You're there whenever – always understanding me so completely, and taking care of me. Something know one else has ever really tried. You've never given up on me, and for that, I thank you with all of my heart.  
I've figured out why all of this stuff has happened to us. It's because the both of us needed to go to hell together and back, to truly appreciate what we have. It was like a test. In the end, somehow, I knew I would always pass. I knew that you're the only thing I'd ever want from the moment I saw you.  
You're my forever, Bella. I'm not afraid of what's coming anymore, because I have you with me now. We have each other. I know that with you, I can make it through anything.  
I love you, Bells. So, fucking much._

-Edward

Tears streamed gently down my face as I set the letter down. I shut my eyes for a moment, letting all of my emotions sweep over me. His words were so honest, so deep. I didn't think I could love him anymore.

He thought too little of himself. He didn't realize what an amazing person he was. What an amazing boyfriend; best friend; lover. He was all of those things to me, and just like he had said about me; He was my absolute everything.

Gingerly, I tore off the wrapping paper from the small box, revealing a velvet, rectangle case. I stroked my hand over the softness a few times, appreciating all of life's small details.

Finally, I removed the lid to the case, finding the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I gently removed the necklace from the box, studying it. It was a simple, thin silver chain with a charm dancing in the middle.

The charm was a heart – the outsides trimmed with silver. The inside of the heart was a beautiful sapphire, perfectly cut and fit into the design. I blinked back the water in my eyes, needing to be able to see more clearly. I stared at it in silence for a few moments, before I whispered out loud. "I love you, Edward." I knew that somewhere, wherever he was, he could hear me.

I noticed another note folded up in the box, and quickly read it.

_This reminded me of you._

I carefully put the necklace on, the heart resting just next to my real one. No matter what I had to do, at least now, I was a hundred percent positive that I could make it through the day. Now that I knew Edward was with me.

I slipped on a nice, formal outfit Alice had bought me for this occasion. Then, I slipped both notes into each pocket, knowing that they would be my alibi to a brave presentation.

And that's exactly what I did.

I got up to that damn podium, I told them everything. I did not let go; I did not show mercy to Charlie. Many tears were shed, many comments and judgments were made, but the important thing was, was that I did it. I did something I never thought possible. I faced him. I faced the monster.

By the end of the day, it didn't matter whether we won or lost in that moment. All that mattered to me, was that I finally put my foot down to all of this garbage. I put my foot down, and once I did, it felt _incredible_.

I had called Edward that night, thanking him for everything. Thanking him for the necklace, for his support, for his love. It was the first time since I had left that I had cried because of happiness. I realized that, no matter how long we were apart, we'd still love each other the same. We'd still be together. We'd still face life's challenges when presented.

Day seven had came and gone, and before I knew it, it was already day eight.

Ever since I had told them the stories, there had been many recesses. It was obvious that Charlie was slowly loosing, and that people were beginning to realize what a jack-ass he was. No more was needed to be said on my part – thank you Carlisle – and it wouldn't be long before my fate was decided.

I was becoming more and more confident that it would turn out okay. So when we all took our seats for Day 8, I was completely surprised when Carlisle turned and whispered to me. "I have a way to finish this early," He whispered confidently into my ear. "Watch this."

All of a sudden, Carlisle asked permission to testify, and question Charlie for murder. Everyone was shocked, including me, and ordered to the stand, was Charlie Swan himself. Everything that went back and forth that afternoon was completely unexpected. New things were discovered, more suspicions arisen.

Carlisle was a genius. Basically, without letting me know, he had gone through the autopsy of Renee Swan's murder, researching more into the medical causes of her death. Of course, I had already told him how she died, so it apparently wasn't hard for him to prove murder. He had gone over everything possible, answer the judges every question needed.

It wasn't completely solid evidence, due to the fact that it happened almost nine years ago, but still, it was something. It was enough to cause for a very _long _recess. Everyone in that room knew what went down. Even Charlie knew that he was toast.

The minute Carlisle sat back down next to me, I turned to him and squeezed him very tightly in a hug. "Thank you so much," I whispered honestly, pulling away. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Carlisle."

The judge walked back into the room, announcing that they had scheduled for another court conference later that afternoon. Carlisle told me that this was good news. The court meeting wasn't until six, so we had time to run out and grab something to eat. The jury had a lot of things they needed to go over, and were apparently making a lot of important decisions.

"Bella," Carlisle told me once we were seated at a small diner. "If we win this case, I've talked to the state, and you will be under Cullen custody. As soon as you turn eighteen – May 13th, correct?" I nodded, "You will be able to do as you please from then on."

"How do you do it?" I asked in awe.

He flashed me a smile, much like Edward's when he was feeling confident. "Trust me, Bella," He said in sly voice. "I know a _lot _of people." I smiled widely at him, thanking him once again for everything.

At five-thirty, we entered back into the doors of the courtroom. They started at exactly four, as promised. I felt Edward's necklace resting comfortably on my chest, and smiled to myself. Two days. I'd see him in two days.

"A lot of decisions have been made," The judge announced loudly, her voice echoing throughout the room. "A lot of arrangements have been made as well."

I glanced at Carlisle, trying to find out what that may have meant. His eyes remained at the front of the room, though I could have sworn his lips twitched, fighting back a smile. I didn't understand. My attention remained towards the front of the room as well, as everyone anxiously awaited the judge's next words.

"We have decided," She proceeded loudly, "The Jury and myself," She paused, "That there will be no further need for this trial." I hadn't noticed until now that I was holding my breath. "Charlie Samuel Swan, has been proven guilty and will spend the rest of his life in prison. For first-class case of severe child-abuse, along with suspected murder, and substance abuse."

The crowd behind us immediately irrupted into yells of agreement or disagreement. There were a million bright flashes, and noise was being made from almost every person in the room. I didn't notice any of it though.

It was like all of it was a blur happening around me in slow motion. The only thing that had my attention at the moment, was Charlie's intense stair, focused on me. It said nothing, and at the same time, it said everything. Millions of memories flashed between us as we shared the things that neither of us wanted to remember.

I blinked twice as realization dawned on me. The judge's sharp voice brought me back to the present. "Isabella Marie Swan," She said clearly, "Until your eighteenth birthday on the thirteenth of May, you shall belong to Carlisle James Cullen. We will make contact if anything changes."

I sat there, completely frozen. I hadn't even noticed Carlisle get up to thank the members of the court, including the judge. Over the hum of noise, I heard her turn to look at me, and wish all of us the best of luck.

Avoiding the press and everyone else who had a question, Carlisle got all of the paper work needed, signed the things needed, and we bolted out of that place faster than I ever would have imagined. I was glad; I couldn't spend another second in that damn place.

My mind still hadn't processed everything that just happened. It wasn't until Carlisle's words, that I truly realized now. "You're free, Bella." I shut my eyes, and finally, I felt free.

"When we get back to Billy's, I'll schedule a flight back to Washington as soon as possible." He told me, sounding much more calm than he had all week. "My guess is, we'll be home sometime tomorrow afternoon."

All I could to was nod; There were no words to describe anything I was feeling at the moment.

As we were about to pull into the winding driveway, I suddenly thought of something. "Carlisle?" I asked anxiously. "Do you think you could maybe _not_ tell any of them we're coming home early." I blushed a little, trying not to. "I kind of want to surprise Edward." God, that was way more embarrassing than it had to be.

He smiled at me in understandment and nodded. "I know what you mean," He said sincerely, "I miss them all too."

The rest of the night I spent packing my things for our eleven o'clock flight. The four of us had all eaten a fancy dinner together as celebration, and I couldn't have even been mad at Jacob that night. Regardless of the faces he was making at me from across the table.

I decided to go to bed early that night, ready for tomorrow to come quickly. I still couldn't believe it. It was completely unreal. The thought that we'd be together again tomorrow was completely unreal. And yet, for once, reality just happened to like me.

Before I crawled into my bed, I decided that I should call Edward. I hadn't called him the last two nights, because I had crashed in my bed before I had gotten the chance. It only took him to rings to answer, and when he did, a huge smile spread across my face. "Edward!" I practically sang into the phone.

He chuckled, and it almost sounded like he was relieved. "Hey, Bells," I heard the smile in his voice. "I haven't heard from you in a while." It's not my fault – it was my damn sleeping cycles. Lately, they had been causing me to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.

"I'm sorry. I've been so tired lately," I told him honestly. "I miss you a lot." I added softly into the phone.

"Believe me, I know." His voice sounded exasperated. "Do you know what it's like? You know, when it feels like half of you is gone?" I nodded, though he couldn't see. "Well that's how I feel."

I continued to play along, not wanting to give anything away. "Don't worry." I assured him, "The trial's going really well. Everything should be okay soon." _Sooner than you think_, I added silently. "I love you," I informed him for the millionth time. "I'm going to try and get to bed though, so I'll talk to you soon." _Really soon_, I added silently once again.

"Love you too, Bella," He responded without missing a beat. I flipped my phone shut, and snuggled into the comforts of my covers. No where near as comfortable as Edward's arms, though now that I knew I'd be in his bed tomorrow, I could deal with that fact for one more night.

I shut my eyes, and before I knew it, I was opening them again.

When I woke up, I felt like a completely different person, yet still the same. It was a good feeling, definitely. Sure, I still felt empty and lonely, but that was only because he wasn't with me yet. I knew once we were together again, I'd truly feel whole. I only hoped he still felt the exact same way.

Once again making sure I had all of my belongings, I carried my bags with my good arm, downstairs to the massive entryway. Carlisle and Billy were already standing there waiting for me, along with Jacob.

I sent Jacob a truce smile, letting him know that things were okay between us. Sure, I'd probably never talk to him again after this, but I wanted to leave us off on a good note. I set my bags down, and walked over to hug him. "Thanks, Jake," I whispered as I planted a soft kiss on his broken nose. He smiled warmly at me, and returned the embrace.

"Have a good life, Bella," Billy called to me as we walked out to Carlisle's rental car. I turned to smile widely at him, shouting back a "thank you." Before I knew it, we were speeding off towards the airport.

Another amount of time flashed before us, and suddenly, we were boarding our airplane. Time continued to fly past us in an alarming rate, on our side for once. Though I was still a little tired, I was pretty sure I didn't have any sleep left in me. Instead, I read the whole flight home. I hadn't done much reading in a while, so it was good to start again.

When our plane landed in Washington, I glanced out the windows to notice that it looked the exact same as when we left: Dark, stormy, wet. A hard rain was pouring outside and there were some rumbles of thunder in the distance.

As quickly as possible, we retrieved our bags and headed towards the vehicle. Only an hour. I reminded myself as my legs anxiously bounced up and down. We'd be home in an hour.

The more we drove, the harder the rain got. In fact, I had never seen it rain so hard in my life. After living here my whole life, that was really surprising. All it did in this town was rain. Carlisle did his best to drive safely, yet fast at the same time, and it wasn't long before we crossed into the town's borders. I knew he was as anxious as me.

The rain hadn't let up one bit as we turned the corner to their street. My stomach was doing all kinds of flips and lunges, and I almost wanted to scream with the anticipation.

I could barely see their house as we pulled up. The garage was full, so Carlisle just parked in the driveway. He honked the horn loudly a couple of things, and got out of the car, running inside of the house. I was debating on whether or not I should grab my things, when suddenly, a silhouette appeared on the front porch.

I couldn't be sure because the rain was so hard, but I was about ninety-nine percent sure that it was Edward. I watched as he took a few steps closer, and stood there for a moment. I could tell that he was staring at the car in disbelief.

Without a second though, I threw myself out of that car, immediately soaking wet, and hurdled myself in his direction. I could see that his arms were already being held out, and the brilliant smile that was now spread across his face.

I jumped into his arms and he caught me without any struggle. My legs straddled his waist, and he gripped onto me tightly, not letting me go. I buried my face in his neck as I embraced him with all of the strength I had. I didn't even take the time to notice the rain around us anymore. It continued to fall uncontrollably as did the emotions swirling around us.

We both pulled back, looking into each other's eyes. His hair was dripping wet, falling over his face as he shook it out of his eyes. I stared into his green eyes for just a moment before my lips were crashing against his. He continued to support all of my weight as my legs stayed wrapped tightly around him.

My hands tangled into his wet hair; I ran them over his face, his chest. Every part of him I could. He whispered words of affection in between our breathless kissing. Just as I predicted, now that I was finally in his arms, I felt whole.

Not breaking the kiss, he ran us inside the house even though we were both soaking wet. While kissing me, he carried me into up into his bedroom, shut the door with his foot, and threw me down on the bed. He hovered over me protectively; supporting his weight with his elbows as he continued to kiss me with all of the fierceness he had in him.

The kisses grew slower and more passionate as we began making up for the nine days we had lost.

* * *

**Well wasn't that a beast of a chapter?  
I broke 200k in the story word count. Crazy stuff, I know.  
Ah, it's been a long journey.**

**You know what would be more crazy?  
Breaking 1000+ for reviews.  
We are SO close. Like, SO close.  
Can you guys do it?  
I think you can.**

**Alright, alright.  
Story information.  
There will be two more chapters after this, plus an epilogue.  
As for "The Runaways", I will be posting the Prologue for the story as soon as FD is completely finished. I'll release the plot line next A/N, okay?**

**PM with any questions on this chapter.  
Right now, I'm really not interested in answering a bunch as an FAQ.  
As I said, if you're curious about something, pleased ask.**

**I love you.  
All of you.  
So fucking much.  
More than Edward loves Bella.  
Trust me.**

_**Reviews are better than necklace from Edward!(:**_


	28. Hanging By A Moment: Lifehouse

**Okay, okay. Let me explain.  
It was homecoming week this week.  
I've been busy as hell with volleyball, which is almost done, by the way.  
AND, I've been ill with the cold for the past month.  
No, I do not have Swine flu.**

******This chapter's song is **_Hanging By a Moment – Lifehouse_  
Oh my lord, if you've never heard this song, PLEASE go and listen to it. I beg you.  
It is like, the ultimate Bella/Edward song there is.  
You'll see why it fits with the chapter. (;

**Holy hell!  
1000 reviews?  
-faints-  
-wakes up-  
-faints again-  
You guys are the fucking best.  
Edward appreciates you.**

* * *

**BPOV**

_-One Week Later-_

"Alice," I whined loudly, covering my hands over my face for the hundredth time that afternoon. "We've been here for hours, please! It's just useless." Alice and I had been aimlessly walking around the Victoria's Secret outlet for half of the afternoon. Never in my life had I seen so much lingerie.

"No Bella," She said sternly, pulling my hands from my blushing face, "We're not giving up. There must be _something _in here for you." I gave her a doubtful snort and looked away as she got the attention of a sale's woman. "Miss, do you have any suggestions for my friend here?" I sighed loudly as she gestured towards me. She leaned in and whispered loudly into the woman's ear, "First time." I thought I'd die right then and there.

The lady's face lit up, immediately nodding and scampering over to my side. I was blushing so hard, I was probably running an extremely high temperature. She began looking over me, and suddenly, I was feeling very self-conscious. "Let's see, dear," Her tone was apprising. "Very pale skin, brown eyes." She took notes to herself out loud. "Long, curly brunette hair. Very small waist, good curves."

She smiled at me warmly. "We've got just the thing for you, honey." Alice grinned widely, poking my side with way too much enthusiasm. We both followed her; Alice eager – me, not so much. I just wanted to crawl under a rock and stay hidden there.

Ever since we had discussed the plans of our missed weekend, and decided to reschedule to next weekend, Alice had been all over the idea of lingerie shopping. I hadn't seen her in over a week when she asked, so honestly, how could I have turned her down? Knowing now what it involved, I realized that very easily I _could_ have turned her down.

We had driven all the way out to Seattle, the six of us, and had been at the damn outlet mall for the whole day. Alice had insisted that the girls and guys drove separately. For fear of their lives, no one argued with her.

Edward was with Em and Jazz – the three of them walking around boredly for God knows how long. Rosalie had tagged along with them, making a comment before she left about having issues with the workers here. I now understood why.

The woman finally came to a stop, asking me my size once more. Embarrassed, I mumbled the answer quietly to her. She pulled something from off of an expensive looking rack. I still wasn't paying attention as she held it up in front of me, comparing it with my skin.

"Perfect," Alice exclaimed pleased, nodding her head. "Absolutely perfect."

As we walked out of the store – finally – I turned to Alice, no longer embarrassed. After all, how much more humiliating could something be than _that_. I clung on tightly to the small, expensive pink shopping bag in my hand, washing out all memories I had of that store. "Alice?" I asked her, concerned.

"Yeah, Bells?" She sounded distracted, yet I knew I had her full attention.

"What if it's not special," I muttered sadly, "You know? What if it doesn't. . .mean anything?" She looked at me, raising an eye brow. We continued to walk in the general area we thought the four of them to be. "Of course it will be special. You're each other's first loves. It's your _first_ time, Bella." She reminded me.

I smiled a little, but her words had not assured me. My smile faltered, turning into a frown. "Yeah, but it's not his." I countered in a grim tone. I knew it wasn't his fault, but I suddenly wondered how many girls he _had_ actually done it with. I realized that I probably didn't want to know.

"So?" She asked, her tone indifferent. "Bella, you've got to be more confident in yourself. You're the first person he's ever truly loved, did you know that? You're the first person he's cared about for a _long_ time. Trust me." I began to protest, but she continued on.

"It doesn't matter if he's been with one woman, or a hundred," My heart sank at her mention, "All that matters, is that he _will_ make this incredibly special for the both of you." She said in a gentle voice, "I know him, and Bella, if anything, it's better that he's had experience. He'll be gentle and caring, and will do everything right for the both of you."

"Hell, Bella," She said loudly, a smile threatening to escape. "Don't even _think_ about those other girls. They've got _nothing_ on you." I grinned a little, secretly feeling a whole lot better. "I bet if I asked Edward right now, he'd agree. . ." She trailed off, her eyes now focused on something different. "Speaking of Edward," She hinted, nodding her head towards the path in front of us.

My eyes followed to where hers were, and immediately, they found his. A sexy, crooked smile spread across his face as he picked up his pace towards us. With only a few steps left, I dropped my bags and ran straight for him. I jumped at him, placing my hands on his shoulders as he placed his on my waist and picked me up, spinning me around.

I giggled loudly, and he planted a light kiss on my lips as he gently set me down. I ignored the slight pain in my hand, almost unnoticeable really. Carlisle had down graded me to only a brace now, so it was more manageable.

I saw his eyes quickly trail to the Victoria's Secret bag next to my feet, but I could tell he was pretending he hadn't noticed it. "I got you something," He smirked at me, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans and pulling something out. He handed me a small bag of chocolates. "They're like your eyes." He explained as I blushed and thanked him.

All of us, besides Alice of course, were more than ready to leave. Unfortunately, the shopping queen had other ideas. She was about to drag me into _another_ pink, frilly store; I protested, clinging on to Edward tightly. "No, Alice, please?" I begged as Edward chuckled in amusement. She narrowed her eyes at both of us.

"You know, she wouldn't be so distracted if _you_ weren't here," She pointed a vicious finger at him, glaring.

His face lit up like a kid on Christmas. "You know what? You're right." I grimaced in horror at him. "I should leave right now, don't you think? I agree – I _am_ a distraction."

"Traitor," I accused, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Yes, I do believe that would be the best," Alice agreed in a taut tone. "Bella and I have some more work to do." I turned back to Alice, my eyes wide with pleading. When she usually said 'more work', it meant 'get ready to have your ass walk store through store for the rest of the day.' I shivered.

"I should go with you, Ed," Emmett said quickly, stepping away from Rosalie's side. "I mean, I'd feel bad if you went alone. . ." He hinted, trailing off and raising an eyebrow. Now, Rose was glaring at him as I was Edward.

Alice sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose in a stressful manner. "Fine, you two, leave. I don't care!" She told them exasperated. "Just stop bugging me, alright?"

Jasper was about to speak when she cut him off abruptly. "You're staying. End of story." He slumped his shoulders, both frowning and glaring at the same time. He knew better than to argue with Alice, just like the rest of us did. Rosalie, also on the same page as him, raised an eyebrow. "You're staying too, Rose." She said, her tone final.

Edward and Emmett hive-fived each other, smirking at the three of us in obvious amusement. I tried pulling out the lip, and even the big-eyes to make him stay. "Sorry, Bells," He responded cheerfully. "I love you, I really do, but there's only so much of this shit I can take." Then, he added quickly. "I got you chocolates, remember?"

I glared at him. He thought he was being funny. I was _not_ amused. He quickly planted a kiss on my forehead as I crossed my arms. Then, him and Emmett took off sprinting in the assumed direction his car was parked.

I continued to glare at him until he was completely out of side. It didn't take long; Either they were both extremely fast runners, or they were that eager to get away from this shopping trip from hell. I decided it was probably a little bit of both.

The next two hours were even more hell than the previous two. Rose, Jasper, and I all made a croup. The "We Hate Shopping With Alice Cullen" group. She wasn't amused. She had threatened another three hours. We quickly changed the name: "Alice Cullen Is My Favorite Person To Shop With." Bullshit, as Edward would have so kindly put it.

I didn't care. I was _not_ putting in another three hours.

**EPOV**

I was sprawled out lazily on the couch while watching some lame-ass show with Em. I glanced at the clock on my cellphone. It had been what, three hours now? I shook my head, feeling slightly guilty for leaving Bella alone with the Shopper-From-Hell. Guilty, yet pleased at the same time. At least it wasn't _me_ there.

Plus, Bells definitely needed more girl time. She was always with me, and I sometimes worried that I was corrupting her. Hell, she'd sworn at least once a day for the past week. Ridiculous. Yet, _so_ hot.

I just felt bad for Jasper. Poor bastard. God knows what kind of things he was having to indure this very moment. The smirk on Em's face told me he was thinking the exact same thing. There really wasn't much we could have done to get him out of that shit. Once Alice's mind was set, it was set.

Today was Wednesday – school had been closed down for a teacher's workshop or some shit. I was just eager for Friday. Fucking _thrilled_. Two more days. We'd be leaving for the sun in two, fucking days. I felt like dancing. I almost did.

Except, I heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Both Em and I both jumped out of our seats, running for the door. It was a mixture of anxiety to see our girls, and amusement to see the tortured look on Jazz's face.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized that there were two cars parked in the driveway. One Alice's Porsche, the other a Ferrari. Getting out of the Porsche was Bella, Alice, Rose, and Jazz. Now getting out of the Ferrari was a lot of legs, the smell of hairspray, and a shit load of blond hair. My face paled. I knew that blond hair from anywhere, and it was _not_ Rosalie's.

It was Tanya.

My ex-fucking-girlfriend.

I shut my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and opening them up again, hoping that what I had just saw was my horribly nightmarish imagination. It wasn't. Emmett, eyes also upon Tanya, was standing next to me, cracking up in silent fits of laughter. _Fuck you_.

Bella's and the rest of their eyes followed mine. While Bella's looked confused, it only took a few seconds for realization to dawn on her. It wasn't that hard to put the pieces together and figure out who this crazy bitch was. Her jaw practically fell open. I hate to say it, but before I met Bella, judging by Tanya's tits and ass, it would have been obvious that this girl was clearly my type.

_Not anymore!_ My mind screamed at me.

Everything happened at once. Bella dropped all of her bags she was holding and ran to my side, clinging on to my waist tightly in an embrace. Tanya, in her ten-inch long heels, hobbled over to my other side, throwing her chest in my face while clinging tightly onto my arm.

"Eddy!" Tanya cried enthusiastically, completely ignoring Bella's menacing glare.

I stared at her in both disbelief and irritation. "How the _fuck_ did you find me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together in confusion. The girl was practically grinding on me now, probably hoping to get a reaction from me. There was none.

She giggled loudly, trailing her fingers up my neck. I stiffened, and so did Bella. "I googled you, duh silly," She told me, her voice as high and nazzly as ever. All of my watching family let out a loud snort, though Tanya was oblivious to them. I raised an eyebrow. "Background check," She explained further.

I rolled my eyes. "I know _that_ much. I meant how did _you_ manage to work a computer?" I paused, smirking. "All by yourself, too! Amazing!" I clapped enthusiastically while continuing my sarcasm-pissed off facade.

Once again, she giggled loudly, oblivious to the fact that I was insulting her. Maybe this could be fun, actually. I turned to beam at Bella, and winked, hoping she'd follow along. There was a moment or two of silence before she began talking again. "So, Eddy, who's _this_?" She gave Bella an appeasing look.

Bella opened her mouth and was about to answer, but I did before she could. "My wife." I responded, pursing my lips to remain from laughing. I heard Bella's quiet giggle from next to me, along with Alice's a few feet away. "Tanya," I proceeded happily, "I'd like you to meet Bella Cullen."

Tanya crinkled up her nose before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Your so funny, Edward," She shoved at my shoulder with her breasts. I ignored them. "That's why I love you though!" She moved from my side, and over to Bella's. "You know," She began as Bella crossed her arms in both annoyance and amusement. "I know Edward probably is saying this because he feels sorry for you, and because you're not very pretty. It's okay though," She patted Bella on the head as Bella grimaced. "I'll be your friend."

"Bitch, please," Bella began, all superior and shit. I smirked, keeping a hand tightly around her waist. "I am Edward Cullen's wife. We're married." Tanya's face fell, and she was now glaring. "So you can stick that in your juice pouch and _suck it_."

I couldn't help it, me and everyone else burst out laughing. Except for Tanya and Bella. The two were staring each other down, and it was pretty fucking amusing. She raised an eyebrow, "Where's your ring then?" Tanya asked bitterly, making a scene to brush away hair from her face.

Bella stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, Alice cut in, moving to Tanya's side. Tanya was a whole head taller than Alice, with her legs and heels. Though Alice was much more menacing than Tanya ever _could_ be. "It's in Paris," She said prestigiously, "The diamond hasn't been released into America yet, and as you can imagine, is extremely valuable." Alice gave her a bitchy smile. "It'll be shipped in a week."

Emmett, thinking it would be fun to join in this little lie, asked loudly, "So when is the baby due again, Bella?" Both of us choked on our laughter, and I turned to glare at Em.

Tanya eyed Bella's stomach doubtfully. Jasper, having suffered enough today, was enjoying this. Alice was cracking up in another silent fit of laughter. Bella was looking down at the ground, blushing deeply. And Rosalie was rolling her eyes at Emmett.

"Baby?" Tanya raised an eyebrow, her voice dumbstruck.

"Yeah," Emmett continued, oblivious to my murderous looks. "They're due in a couple of months, didn't you know?" He threw an arm around my shoulder, "Isn't that right, _Daddy_ Edward?" I quickly shook it off, crossing my arms.

"Sure," I mumbled, wanting nothing more than for Tanya to just leave. If she stayed here any longer, God only knew what kind of things Emmett had planned for our fake life.

Bella, feeling the same way, suddenly place one hand across her forehead and the other on her completely flat stomach. "Morning sickness," She gasped believably, sending me a quick wink before turning to Tanya. "Better move," She choked hastily, "I'm gonna blow."

Tanya squealed, clanking her heels off back towards her car. Before getting in, she wrinkled her nose and turned back to the six of us. "You know, Eddy," She said, her voice at an unpleasant octive. "I thought we could make this work, but since your married, I guess we can't!" She slammed her door and rolled down her window. "Have a happy life!" She yelled angrily.

"Fuck you too!" Rosalie shouted after her, smugly crossing her arms. None of them had ever liked Tanya while we were dating. Or, just in general, actually. I now could see why. Had I really been that shallow before? I hoped not.

I was completely speechless. Once her car disappeared, Emmett walked up to my side and patted me on the back. "You sure picked a good one, bro."

Bella looked up at me, a skeptically confused look. "Did she just drive here–?"

"Uh-huh." I nodded, still speechless. What the _fuck_ just happened? Did she just drive here two-thousand miles, only to say 'hi' and drive back? And I thought she was crazy before. No, crazy didn't even cover it.

At least I was happily in love with Bella and I changed my ways, or else I would have probably fucked her in her expensive car. That would not have been good. Not at all.

Eventually, after everyone was done being confused, we all made our way inside. As we walked through the door, I threw Bella over my shoulder, and had her giggling while pounding lightly on my back. "I've gotta take my wifey upstairs," I explained, smirking as I headed through the kitchen.

Both Esme and Carlisle were working on dinner as we walked through, rolling their eyes as they saw how I had Bella. Bella, oblivious to them in the room, squealed, "No, stop, you'll hurt the baby!" Her laughing continued as my mom's face immediately hardened. Carlisle's face turned completely pale.

"Edward. Cullen." The each said at the same time, their voices wary.

I turned to face them, a huge grin spread across my face. I set Bella down upright as she continued giggling. Her fingers clung tightly to my shirt as she laughed into my chest. Carlisle and Esme, on the other hand, were not amused. Both faces still completely serious.

The absolute seriousness and concern on their faces just made it fucking hilarious. I couldn't hold in my laughter, and also began cracking up hysterically. "So help me God, Edward Anthony," Esme began in a strict voice, "If you're telling us–"

"Mom." I cut her off, holding up a hand. "We were just kidding." Instantly, both faces became completely relieved. Without another word, they went back to preparing dinner. We laughed all of the way up to our room. _Our_ room.

After the whole Tanya incident happened, no one spoke of it. Whether they were afraid to upset me, or it was just a waste of a perfect conversation.

Thursday was beyond unbearable. It was fucking agony. My mood was hell. Bella was sleepy. Emmett's mind was in the gutter. Jasper was in a sing-song vibe. Alice chattered away about shit. Rosalie, God bless her heart, acted her normal self.

Regardless, it was hell. It started out at three in the morning, when Bella woke up with a blood-curling scream from some sort of horrible nightmare. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep, and I had stayed up with her. Starting out a day of school with only four hours of sleep the previous night was _not_ a good thing. Not at all.

Then, all day, James had to act like the biggest dick ever. And _not_ in a good way. He had been throwing notes at me, eying me from across the room whenever he had the chance – letting me know to meet him out in the parking lot after school. Apparently, we had some unfinished business.

I wasn't going. I was not in the mood to have my ass expelled from the school.

When I had driven Bella home, we had stopped at the groceries store to pick up ingredients and shit for the dinner she wanted to make. We left the Volvo for like a half an hour, and came back to it with one of the doors all keyed up.

Whatever idiot – James – had behind his motivations, weren't very wise. He forgot that my daddy had more money than God. Fortunately for me, a knew door frame and paint job wouldn't be that hard to obtain. It still pissed me off, regardless though. A whole fucking lot.

All of that shit was easily forgotten when Friday rolled around though.

We were going to school, then leaving early to catch a two-fifteen flight. The six of us woke up early that morning so that we could pack and be ready to leave right away once we got home. Bella had left to pack in Alice's room – God only knew why, and I was having a girl moment.

That's what my fucking life had come to; Deciding on which color shirts I should back. Unbelievable. At least now I understood why it sometimes took girls so long to get ready. I had to admit; it made sense.

I made my way to Alice's room once I was finished packing up my things in a large duffel bag. Knocking on the door before entering, I stood outside in the hall. Emmett walked past as I was standing there, patting me on the back and giving me a thumbs up. "Nice work, little brother." He exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes, opening the door to the bedroom as soon as I heard a muffled "come in."

Bella skipped over to me, her loose pony tail swaying back and forth as she quickly planted a soft kiss on my lips. "Guess what?" She asked, her eyes absolutely shining.

"What?" I responded, a smile filtering on my lips.

"We're going to _California_," she sang, grinning from ear to ear. I hadn't seen her this happy in a long time. Truly a sight to behold. Bella in general was a sight to behold. Everything about her. Her personality, her face, her body.

"Fuck yeah we are!" Alice hollered from the depths of her closet as her loud trilling laugh rang through the room.

I perched myself on the bed, studying Bella carefully as she finished the remainder of her packing. I looked for any signs of hurt or shit like that, but for once, never found any. It was so relieving to know that I wouldn't have to always constantly be worrying about her well-being.

Of course, when she wasn't with me, I still would go fucking crazy. At least though, now I knew she was okay. Though she would be okay, I also knew that there was a lot of healing that would need to be done in time. I had absolutely no problem helping her with _that_.

In fact, lucky for her, comforting Bella was one of my many specialties.

"All done," Bella finally finished cheerfully, zipping up her two large suitcases tightly. I wondered why she needed _two_ suitcases, but didn't ponder much on the thought. Instead, I lead her downstairs to the kitchen for pancakes Em had made. Fucking pansy. Fucking lovably amazing pansy.

We arrived at school, went to three of our classes, then met out in the parking lot at noon. I leaned against the Volvo as I watched Bella make her way over. I couldn't help but smile. She looked genuinely happy. I knew I could definitely get use to this change.

Alice, Em, Jazz, and Rose were all always making their way towards their vehicles. As soon as the car was started, Bella grinned widely at me. "So how was my hubby's day?" She smiled, letting out a quiet giggle.

Thanks to Tanya's visit, we've been calling each other 'hubby' and 'wifey.' Yeah, I was only eighteen, and as weird as it was to admit, I rather _liked_ the sound of Bella and wife together in the same sentence. I tried not to think about that shit right now though. After all, getting married any time soon was _definitely_ not on my list of priorities.

The top thing right now was to make Bella happy. It always was, but right now, it seemed more important than ever. I needed to show her how to live life without hesitation.

That's exactly what I'd do. If it killed me, I'd still do it. For her. For _us_.

After arriving home, we all packed our bags and suitcases, cramming them into Emmett's jeep. That part was easy. The hard part? Cramming the six of _us_ into his jeep. The attempt resulted in the solution of Alice sitting on Jazz's lap in the back seat next to Rose. Then, Bella snuggled in between Emmett and I in the front.

Was it legal? Sure it wasn't. But as of now, the Chief of Police was unavailable to do anything about our said driving methods. _So suck it, Charlie Fucking Swan!_

The hour long drive to the airport was bearable at some points. Some other points, not so much. Alice chattered away in the back seat, annoying the hell out of the rest of us. Rosalie complained about Em's slow driving. Em yelled at me whenever I tried to hold Bella's hand, claiming that he didn't want anything "impure" going on in his truck.

I eventually got fed up with him, and yelled loudly, "Fuck that, Emmett, you and Rosalie have _sex_ in this damn truck!" I paused when a wave of horror suddenly swept over me. ". . .Oh god."

Though nor Emmett or Rosalie made a comment after that, which was a seriously disturbing matter. The rest of the car ride was _not_ the same after their little silent confirmation to my theory. At least now I could hold Bells' hand without being chastised.

We arrived at the airport with an hour until hour flight was scheduled to take off. I helped Bella with her bags, throwing one of them over my shoulder while she carried the other with her good hand.

Her broken hand – now a lot more healed than before – was no longer in a cast, but a brace. Carlisle had let her wrap it in gauze for the weekend trip, knowing that she would probably like that better. I sure as hell liked it better. Now at least we didn't have a big, bulky cast to worry about.

Even though it hadn't been officially said out loud, we both knew more than anything what this weekend would be about. What it would mean. I also knew, as well as she did, that it was time. The both of us had been waiting patiently for the right time, and it was now.

Actually, even if it wasn't the right time, I don't think that _I'd_ be able to hold off any longer. I didn't know about her, but jacking off in the bathroom was no longer an option.

A million scenarios had been running through my mind as to how this would work. There would be no Dom/sub shit. There would be no leader. We'd both step into this together, as if it were the first time for both of us. That's how it had to be. We'd go as slowly as possible, only to have more time to fully appreciate each other.

And if it was as fucking amazing as I had fantasized it to be, we'd do it again. And again. _And again_. Only because _we loved each other_, and from what I had learned in the past, sex was only special when you shared it with someone you truly cared about. Bella was it for me.

For as long as I lived, I knew I wouldn't want anyone else. And with all the uncertainty of the future, that was one thing I _could_ hold on to.

I glanced at her hand in mine as we stood in line to get our tickets. A gesture so small to on-lookers, meant the world to Bella and I. Because holding hands for us, was like we were connecting each other to our souls. When I had her hand in mine, I felt like a different person. I felt _wanted_. God, did the feeling feel good.

I kissed her on the forehead, releasing her hand and taking her other bag. "I'll go load our luggage," I told her, "You go and find the terminal." She wasn't a child, as she had so many times pointed out before. She could do things on her own. I knew that now.

Once I stuck our bags on the loading cart, I hurried to find terminal F6. According to the airport map shown on the way in, it was among one of the largest terminals here. Great. I could only imagine the types of people she would be surrounded by. With that thought, I picked up my pace.

I slowed down when I remembered my earlier thoughts. _Bella was a big girl. She could take care of herself_. Plus, Alice and Rose were with her. I wasn't sure if I should find that fact comforting, or be scared shitless for her. They had ways to get into her head, and convince her of the most oddest fucking things.

I was relieved when I spotted the large sign, and began searching for Bella. It didn't take me that long to find her; having our minds so in tune and what-not.

She was seated next to Rosalie and Alice, as I suspected, but facing the other way. The two girls could have been talking about global warming for all Bella knew. I could tell that what she was seeing definitely wasn't that of an airport. Her mind was off wondering, I desperately wished I could know where it was.

It was in that moment that I realized once again, that Bella was right. I wasn't always going to be able to be there for her. There would be times, as much as I hated to think about it, where we'd be apart. She was right – I wouldn't always be able to be there.

It was a fact that I had been denying ever since she had brought it up.

At the time, how fucking ridiculous it had sounded. Right now, I finally understood her words. _You can't protect me forever, Edward _she had once said. As much as I always wanted to be with her, I knew that since now that real life was straightened out, it'd be impossible.

I'd try my hardest though. I would try my hardest to be good for her; to be deserving of her. I wanted to be good for her. So fucking badly, it almost hurt.

The plane ride lasted only around an hour. Bella took a short nap on my shoulder, and I spent the whole time thinking.

At the end of the ride, I decided that I had been thinking too much. Way too much. Shit like this was suppose to be naturally. And it _was_, it was just that I personally was taking to much time deciding on how we should do this.

I completely shut off all of those thoughts once we landed, making up my mind that whatever Bella wanted to do, we'd do it. We'd take shit slow, because that's how it was _suppose _to be.

When we landed in California, it was the complete opposite of Forks. Moist, hot, and sunny. I liked this place already. I could tell that Bells did too. It was around three-thirty there when we got off of the plane.

The girls all headed to find our suitcases, and Em, Jazz and I headed to find rental cars. We were going to get two, because we decided that it'd be more practical. When it was all said and done, Jazz had the keys to a Corvette, and I had the keys to a Vanquish. Unfortunately, Em and Rose were stuck riding with us.

I lost rock, paper, scissors to Jazz. Dammit.

The hotel we were staying at was only around fifteen minutes away from the airport, in the heart of Los Angeles. I followed Jasper to get there, because he knew where we were going and I didn't.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when we pulled into the parking lot of the most biggest, extravagant place I had ever seen. Over-the-fucking-top, if you asked me. Then again, that's how my family _was_ though. And honestly? The bigger the better.

While we walked into the lobby, Bella expressed the same thoughts as I. "You know, you guys couldn't have picked a bigger place to stay, could you have?"

With a brilliantly wide smile, Alice responded, "No, we could not have."

Jasper had walked by and patted her on the back. "Get used to it, Bella." He warned her in a playful tone. "With Alice, life consists of two things: Expensive, and fancy." I nodded in agreement; that _is_ how Alice saw things. At least the girl had class.

We all got our room keys, and were all on the same floor – the top. I liked being on top. . .no pun intended, honestly.

By coincidence, our rooms were all next to each other. I wasn't sure if I should be disturbed by that or not. I decided that as long as they were sound proof, I'd be good. There wasn't anything more fucking gross than Emmett while he was getting it on. I automatically shivered at the thought.

When I slid the key in and opened the door, my jaw immediately dropped. Alice wasn't kidding; it couldn't have gotten any more expensive than this. A surge of pity swelled over me at the thought of how much came out of Carlisle's paycheck for this. I took a mental note to buy him and Esme something really nice once we got back.

In awe, Bella walked over to the center of the room, setting her things down. Her eyes roamed around – to the canopy bed, to the indoor hot tub, to the wall-sized mirror covering all of the back wall, and lastly, to me.

It wasn't hard to decipher what she was thinking. Her pretty brown eyes were a little _too_ obvious. And sexy.

I had been planning on waiting until later for this, but shit, how the fuck was I supposed to when I was already suffering from the biggest boner in my life? Her face was beginning to look a little _too_ innocent, her eyes were already beginning to become a little _too _wide.

And that small, dark blue piece of lace hanging out from her short skirt was driving me beyond limits I never knew I even had. Why the fuck was she wearing lace anyways? The thought flashed my memory back to a few days ago during shopping; the Victoria's Secret bag she had been carrying. . .

Holy fuck.

I just became harder than probably possible.

Suddenly, the want became a need, and the urge became a longing. In four long paces, I closed the unwanted distance between us. Our lips crashed together and I pressed her up against the wall behind us. My hands formed a cage around her as I pressed my hips sharply into hers, showing her how much I wanted her.

"I love you," I breathed into her skin, my voice coming out a little more husky than planned.

We made-out against the wall for a few minutes, and she began running her hands up and down my tensed chest. "I want you." She whispered into the skin of my neck, causing me to let out a throaty moan. At first, I wasn't sure she even said it. When she brought her lips back to mine, I knew she had.

In that moment, I knew that it was finally time.

* * *

**Oh come on. You all know I'm the queen of cliffies.  
I had to sneak **_**one**_** more in before the story ended.  
And no, I am not pulling a Stephenie Meyer "epic fade-out into blackness" thing.  
Patience, kiddos, is a virtue.  
Heehee. (;**

**Yes. Tanya did come.  
Oh, you all saw that coming eventually and you know it.  
I'm sorry. I just _had_ to put that in there.  
Like, Edward made me.  
Seriously.**

**Oh, and check out my website by the way.  
It's finally been updated. Yes, I know. Amazing, right?  
There's a lovely fanmade banner up, along with a few other things.  
Remember, it's www(dot)simplydazzling(dot)webs(dot)com**

**I'd just like to once again, thank all of you times infinity.  
You may not know it, but I spend a majority of my time re-reading your reviews.  
I can't help it. They flatter me beyond belief.  
Thank you so much for sticking with me this long, and for all of your sincerely kind words.  
I love you all.**

**Just to show my love, here's a short summary of The Runaways.  
See, I _do_ love you.  
(Remember, slight changes may be made to final plot-line.)**

_**GENERAL SUMMARY: **_Bella Swan is a spoiled rich girl. Though, she's never taken anything in life for granted. She happens across a group of kids her age one day, each with their own set of problems. They call themselves "the runaways." Edward, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Whether it's a dark past, family issue, or simply the feeling of loneliness, they are each other's makeshift family. Bella soon becomes attached to this group; one person in particular. The deep, but distant Edward Cullen who has more pain than anyone could ever dream. Along with his tragic lifestyle, there's a gang out after him, seeking revenge for events in the past. They are deadly, and threaten to tear the six of them apart for good. She thinks she can help him – help all of them. Edward opens himself up to her, and falls in love. A story about friendship, romance, family, loss, and heartache. Will all of them find out a way to escape the hell they've been living for too long, and escape the fates destined for them?

_**Reviews are my personal lemons!(:**_


	29. Beautiful Love: The Afters

**Remember, this is the last chapter.  
Epilogue along with the first chapter of The Runaways will be posted soon.**

**Hell, no one's going to read what I put here.  
*waves*  
See you at the bottom!  
**

* * *

**BPOV**

"I love you." His hot breath blew into my face as his kisses became more urgent. Our tongues began a delicious battle, and our breathing became more rapid.

I ran my hands up and down his firm, rippled chest, and I could feel his defined muscles through his shirt. I moved my lips from his, down his jawline, to his neck. I began sucking there, and said the first words that came to my mind. "I want you." I whispered into his skin.

His loud moan filled the room, sending all kinds of shivers throughout my body.

I told myself over and over not to be nervous. This was Edward. He would never do anything to hurt me or make me uncomfortable, and I trusted him with my heart and soul.

I brought my arms up, wrapping them tightly around his neck as his hands held on to my ass, holding me up for a better kissing access as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

Our bags and luggage were all completely forgotten as he continued kissing me, carrying me over to the large bed. Even bigger than Alice's. There was canopy netting surrounding it, and the pillows were big, white and fluffy.

He lowered me down onto the bed so that I was surrounded by the extremely fluffy pillows. He was hovering over the top of me, his arms on each side of my head. He dipped his face down, bringing his lips back to mine, providing me with deep, passionate kisses.

One of his hands began tenderly running through my hair while the other continued to support his weight. Keeping my lips locked with his, I began tugging at his T-shirt impatiently.

He let out a low chuckle into my mouth, and pulled away momentarily. He remained kneeling over me as he quickly pulled his shirt off over his head. Not being able to help myself, I moaned at the sight of his bare chest. I had seen it before, but had yet to get used to the perfection of him.

I immediately pulled him back down to me as our lips found each other again – like magnets. Then, everything suddenly began to slow down. His kisses became more gentle and lingering, and his breathing became more slow.

Above the fabric, his hands began to softly rub slow circles around on my stomach. I had one of my hands rested on his broad shoulder while the other tangled into his tousled bronze hair.

As gentle as ever, his hands slid up to cup my breasts. His thumbs began doing the same thing they had been doing on my stomach; rubbing soft, slow circles around the peaks. I let my eyes flutter shut, appreciating the sensations his hands were now creating.

"Edward." His name came out in a whispered moan, dancing off of my tongue.

He ducked his face down once again, planting soft kisses on every inch of my face. When his lips found mine, his hands began applying pressure – gently squeezing and pushing my breasts together.

I kissed him back, continuing to let the foreign feelings sweep over my body. Without thinking, I arched my hips up and grinded them into his. The back and forth motion I was creating caused him to let out a choked moan, and I felt him as he shivered above me in anticipation.

"Fuck." I heard him mutter, his hands suddenly becoming more urgent on me. I continued pushing my body up to his, closing the unbearable space between us.

He pulled away a few inches, his brilliantly green eyes meeting mine. They were hooded, eager, and adoring. He held my gaze as his hands began trailing down my body, hooking around the trimming of my skirt.

He raised an eyebrow, questioning me. Before even thinking twice about it, I quickly nodded.

His eyes stayed locked with mine as I felt the denim fabric from the skirt slide down. The way his hands trailed down my legs and over my skin was causing a lot of wetness to form _down there_. By the time the skirt was gone, I was in desperate need of a change of panties.

I wasn't sure if my body was doing the right things, or the wrong things. I gulped loudly, trying to relax myself. "It's okay," I heard him whisper quietly, "I won't hurt you." I believed his words as they calmed me, causing a wave of security to sweep over me.

Finally, his eyes slowly moved from mine and trailed down my body. I let mine fall shut, able to feel his gaze on me as I became more aroused by the second.

I heard him moan quietly once again, and opened my eyes back up when I heard the sound of a zipper. He was now removing his own jeans, revealing the pair of plaid boxers he had on.

His arm wrapped under my back, as he suddenly rolled me onto his broad chest, keeping me on top of him. The curtains were closed, and there was only a small lamp on, causing an intimate glow to fill the room.

I sat up on him, my legs straddling his hips. My hands found the hem of my shirt as I began to pull it over my head. Suddenly, Edward's hands were on mine, replacing them. _He wanted to do that part_.

Once the shirt was gone, I felt his eyes appraise me once again. Silently in my head, I thanked Alice for her ability at finding matching lingerie. At first, I was afraid to even put the lace on, for fear of embarrassing myself. Now, I was glad I did. Because when Edward's eyes looked up at me through his long lashes, they were glowing.

"So. Fucking. Beautiful," His words had made me feel like I could fly.

He sat us both up on the bed as my legs remained wrapped tightly around his waist. As we kissed, he held onto me tightly, rubbing his warm hands up and down my back in a soothing way. I knew he was making sure I was comfortable with all of this.

I loved him for it. Beyond sanity.

Because by taking things slowly, he was proving to me that he really did care about our relationship. Of course I knew he always did though. I placed a hand on his soft cheek, gazing into his eyes and letting him know that he wasn't a monster like he sometimes thought.

His tender hands continued to rub my back as we made out, when finally, they stopped and rested over my bra clasps. Once again, he gave me that questioning look. By answering his question, I smiled, biting my lip and nodding.

I honestly had no idea on how to be seductive, so I hoped that playing it as the shy, insecure girl would be just as big of a turn on. I wish I had experience. I wish I could do things for Edward that other women probably had.

Then, I quickly changed my mind. Because having Edward Cullen as my first time, was probably the best thing that has and will ever happen to me. Hands down.

As soon as it was unhooked, keeping our eyes connected, he slid it from my arms and tossed it on the floor.

Once again, he constricted his arms around my torso and pulled me into a loving embrace. The moment our bare chests touched, each of us gasped out loud at the incredible sensation. I couldn't help myself; roughly, I took my lips and crushed them to his, really letting loose and moaning deeply into his mouth.

He moaned back, and I could _feel_ his arousal beneath me. I shoved my hips down on him. He rested his forehead on my shoulder, lightly biting into the skin of my neck while grunting. I brought his lips back to mine and began kissing him again.

I knew how effective my words had been before, so I decided to try them out again. "I want you, Edward." I sighed into his open mouth. "I want you, I want you, I want you."

"Fuck," He breathed loudly, his voice raspy. "I want you too, Bells. I love you." His words came out _way_ too sexy, causing me to get _way_ too excited.

I smiled against his lips, running my hands up and down his tight muscles once again. "Me too." I whispered again.

Edward moved his hands to my bare chest, moving them straight to my breasts. After a few minutes of playful fondling, he slowly swept his thumbs over my fully erect nipples, sweeping the beads down.

The moment he did, a instant shiver coursed through my body, causing a load moan to escape my lips. It was a good feeling – one that made me want more.

I brought my mouth to his ear, blowing a small, hot breath into it. I felt him shiver as well, as his hands continued to work. I had only done this once before, but I remembered him liking it when I had tried it; I gently began nibbling at his ear, and I was right. He immediately stiffened, his grip suddenly becoming tighter.

I couldn't help but to smile to myself as I continued my light sucking. I knew he was trying so hard to be good for me. What he didn't know was that he didn't _need_ to try. He was always good in his own way, despite what anyone said. He was brilliant, and beautiful, and had the kindest soul I'd ever known.

His hands on my bare chest was causing the ache between my legs to grow deeper. I could now feel the dampness seeping through my lace panties. All that was left were our bottoms. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to take _mine_ off first, or if he was suppose to take _his _off first. I mean, how the hell was I suppose to know? I was too embarrassed to ask, so I continued letting him lead me.

The pain in my hand was completely unnoticeable, and both of us ignored it all together. I silently took a moment to thank Carlisle for letting me take it out of the brace. I was new to this, but still, I was fairly sure a cast would have made this pretty damn awkward. I didn't _do_ awkward well.

I weaved the fingers from both hands into his hair, still amazed by how it felt. The tips of my fingers began massaging his scalp lightly, rewarding him for how he was already making me feel. I couldn't even wrap my head around the possibilities of how it would feel when we _finally_ did connect. The thought alone was overwhelming.

The slow kissing began again, and I was begging him with my hips to take off my panties. Surely his need wasn't much different than mine, right? After grinding my hips down on his for a good few minutes straight, his hands finally began lowering. I almost wanted to sing.

They became gentle, and light as feathers. Once again, we switched positions so that I was on the bottom. My head was sinking into the white pillows, and I felt completely unashamed as I was about to become completely naked in front of him.

I knew he could see my scars – I was doing my best not to think about that at all, and I knew that he probably was as well. We didn't need any reminders of the past. It was the present now, and all of those terrible events could be forgotten.

My chest rose up and down on the soft comforter as I watched his eyes trail down to where his hands were. Only for a moment though. He hooked his thumbs around the lace on the sides, and looked back up at me through his scorching green eyes. "Can I get rid of these?" He asked, his voice even huskier than before. Husky, yet still completely calm and patient. I didn't know how he managed. I was practically dying of anticipation at the moment.

All I could do was nod and smile sweetly at him.

Just like for every other clothing item he had disregarded from me, he remained keeping his eyes locked with mine. The gentleman Edward was doing this to make me comfortable. I wanted to kiss him until I couldn't anymore. That's exactly what I was planning on this weekend, actually.

Before I knew it, I felt his fingers began to slide down the lacy material slowly – inch by inch. His green eyes were piercing, and completely vanished all of the nerve I had been having before. They were the eyes where you couldn't _not _be comfortable while looking into.

When I was completely exposed in front of him, I felt oddly relieved. Now he had _truly_ seen all of me. Both inside and out. Vulnerability never seemed to sweep over me as his eyes finally left mine.

I could feel his stare bore through every part of my body – every nerve, every cell. It's like everything inside of me was suddenly ignited with this intense, glowing flame. Making known places I had never even knew I had.

His eyes trailed back up my body, and once they reached mine, they shut. A few moments went by of silence where he was completely still; his eyes shut, his breaths being the only thing causing his body to move.

Then, I saw it. Something so heartbreaking, the minute I saw it, my heart literally squeezed. A small, wet tear oozed out of his shut eye, falling down his cheek, and dripping onto my bare stomach.

I wasn't going to let him cry – not now. Not ever. I knew he was crying because of me. Now that he _could_ see every inch of flesh, I knew it was much worse for him. Because now, the evidence was truly present and real, and a reminder once again, of the past.

I reached up without hesitation, cupping a hand on his cheek. "Sh," I whispered tenderly, waiting for his eyes to open up and meet mine.

When they did, they were sparkling with unshed tears. We exchanged a silent conversation with our eyes, explaining everything words couldn't. I broke the silence. "I love you." I reminded him in barely a whisper.

As I said those words – the words being the whole reason of my existence – something inside of him must have snapped.

Because in that second, his lips were on me. The first place they landed was my shoulder. For no longer than a month ago, in the same spot his lips were now, I was burned by a man from hell. Edward's soft, pure lips erased all of the bitterness I held for that particular scar. To me, it was no longer a "C" for Charlie, but a "C" for Cullen.

Inside, that's what I _really_ was. Who I _really _was. Everything inside me knew it to be true.

After he finished tenderly kissing my burn scar, he moved to numerous other ones on my body, along with other cuts and fading bruises. His lips were like the elixir I had been needing all along.

The moment they made contact with memories of pain I had to suffer, those memories vanished. The pain vanished. He replaced them with a memory of himself – secretly, the best gift he had ever given me.

Because even if one day, we ever faded apart, I'd still have a part of him. I'd still have the memories of how Edward Anthony Masen Cullen had ended up saving my life. My soul.

He was very thorough with his healing. Not one single mark went unnoticed, and eventually, his lips found their way back to mine.

He lowered his body down so that it was completely rested on mine, though not squishing me. He was still holding up a majority of his weight with his arms on each side of me. I kissed him with all of the passion I was capable of, letting my hands roam through every inch of him I could get. His hair, his face, his chest.

Not being hesitant anymore, I eventually moved them down to the elastic waist-band of his boxers. Without even needing to be ask, he followed my silent instructions by lifting his waist up slightly in the air.

I heard his loud intake of breath as he was suddenly exposed into the air-conditioned room. I too shivered, though not because of the cold.

Just like he had with me, I kept my eyes locked with his the whole time. Though admittedly, I was a little intimidated to look down. I had never actually _seen _one before. Of course, without even needing to look at his I knew it'd be big. He was Edward _Cullen_. How could it not be?

His eyes soon became urging, and I knew that he wanted me to look. Not to show off or anything, but to make the both of us more comfortable, and _truly_ break down that last and final wall.

Bracing myself, I looked down. I _really_ hope he didn't hear me gasp, but I couldn't help it. I refrained from dropping my jaw. I had always expected a guy's dick to be gross-looking, and nasty. I could never understand the appeal when I over-heard girls talking about blow jobs and stuff. I now understood.

I _really _understood.

Or maybe it was just because it belonged to Edward. How could anything belonging to Edward _not_ be beautiful? Exactly. I couldn't help but smile when I looked back up at him. Of course, as soon as he saw my small grin, a smirk spread across my face. He somehow _knew_ that'd be my reaction.

After the smirk faded, the adoration returned to his eyes. He scooted himself back, kneeling over the top of my shins. "I'm going to kiss you, Bella." He told me, his voice completely calm.

I gulped and nodded, unsure of where he was going with this.

He lowered his head a little, his eyes lids closing ever so slightly. A slow, crooked smile spread across his lips as he raised an eyebrow. "Not on the lips."

His words shot straight to my core, causing the ache to become unbearable. Once again, I gulped and quickly nodded, wanting nothing more than just that.

Adjusting himself so that his chest was hovering over my shins, he moved his hands to my knees. Slowly, his hands began rubbing up and down them, reaching only to about mid-thigh. After a few moments of relaxing me, his hands carefully spread my legs apart, widening his access.

I leaned my head back on the pillows, shutting my eyes. He didn't move at first, and I felt his stare on me. Impatient, I opened my eyes back up and looked at him. He had an intense look on his face, one full of concentration mixed with lust. "If I do anything to make you uncomfortable, you _have_ to tell me." Restraining myself from rolling my eyes, I nodded, once again shutting my eyes.

"Promise?"

"Promise." I responded eagerly. He smirked at me – I grimaced at him.

But then the love returned to his eyes, smoldering with emerald passion, filled with all kinds of pretty. I watched as he ducked his head lower, slowly moving to where I wanted him.

Finally, as light and gentle as a butterfly, his lips pressed to my center. Only for a moment though. As soon as his lips touched me there, my hips writhed in the direction of his mouth, immediately wanting more of the amazing sensations coursing through my body. I had never felt anything so. . .fucking fantastic. Yeah, that was it. Because only his expletives could explain how good his oral felt on me.

I released a load moan, digging my fists into the sheets as he did it once more. Once again, as light and quick as the last. He was driving me crazy right now, and I think he knew it.

I kept my eyes clenched shut as my heartbeat and breathing increased. He blew a hot, sweet breath over my entrance, causing me to writhe and moan loudly once again. This time, I couldn't help but say his name. "Edward." I breathed, feeling something in me ignite.

As it seemed, he was just as anxious as I was. After one more teasing breath, he placed lips on my most sensitive spot, holding them there this time. Tingles were shooting throughout my body as squirmed anxiously for more. All I wanted was for him to continue – at this point, he could do _anything_.

He pulled his lips back, and I heard his deep, husky breaths. After a few seconds, suddenly his tongue was on me. All of me. He did one, long lick over me, twirling his tongue once he got to my most sensitive spot.

I bawled my fists into the covers, clenching them as tightly as I could, and even hurting my hand a little in the process. Whatever he was doing to me now, it was causing something inside me to build up. He continued making his passes – always dancing his tongue at my sweet spot, causing that thing to build up more and more.

The licking stopped and instead, he gently placed his lips on the source of all the tingling. I gasped loudly, letting out another moan. I knew that whatever inside of me was close to bursting; I was now _aching_ for release.

Then, I felt his warm tongue slide inside of me. My hips buckled up to his face, somehow needing more. I had never felt these things before; never dreamed they would ever happen to me.

His tongue began doing wonderful things; darting in and back out again, twisting and twirling. The tingling feeling was growing stronger by the second, and I think Edward knew that as well. Muscles in my lower abdomen were starting to clench, and something inside of me was about to snap.

One last time, he pulled his tongue out, softly placing it on my sweetest, most sensitive spot, blowing a cool breath of air and whispering, "Come for me, Bells." That was all it took.

For the first time ever, I, Isabella Swan, came.

The violent wave crashed over me, causing all of my muscles to clench. The feeling coursed through my body, rippling every inch with an insane pleasure I never knew existed. My eyes were tightly shut as Edward's name repeatedly left my lips. My hands found his hair and fisted through it, tugging and pulling as the incredible sensation continued to over take me. Time seemed to stop completely as I rode my high.

Never in my life had I felt something _so_ amazing. As my body became completely still, bliss washed over me and I couldn't stop the large smile from spreading across my face.

Edward moved above me, adjusting his position so that his face was only inches from mine. I finally opened my eyes back up, meeting his glorious ones. I beamed at him, completely content to stare at his face all day. I would have, but we did have other activities to fulfill.

His breathing, much more steady than mine, suddenly picked up. His eyes became completely serious as he held my gaze. "It's going to hurt." He whispered after a few moments.

"I know." I responded, completely aware. I knew all of this, but I had been trying to push it to the back of my mind. After all, what was my pain compared to the experience I had been waiting for forever?

"Believe me," He breathed, his green eyes piercing. "If there were anyway I could do this without hurting you, I would."

I almost wanted to snort at him, but held it in. Why was he bringing this up now? If I were being honest, which I was, _nothing_ could have possibly brought my mood down in that instant. Except him dying, of course, but I couldn't even consider that possibility.

"I think I'll be able to handle it," I responded, a little flustered, "I've probably had worse." I reminded him, trying to keep my tone light. He gave me a disapproving look, but quickly shook it off. I shrugged my shoulders. Truth is, I was good with pain. I kept _that_ to myself though, knowing how upset it would make him.

"You have to tell me if I'm hurting you," He demanded softly. I nodded once again, biting my lip. "I'm serious, Bella. Telling me and not telling me are completely different things." Duh. I wondered why he was talking so much. Maybe he was just as nervous as me. The thought was oddly comforting.

Without speaking, he once again changed our position. Gently rolling onto his back and grabbing my waist, pulling me on top of him.

The look he gave me was patient – letting me know that we could go at whatever pace I wanted to. Not really knowing where to start, I brought my lips tenderly down to his once more, hoping he would lead.

Wrapping one hand into my hair, never breaking the kiss, he reached his other over to the table next to the bed, grabbing the condom he had placed there before. With one hand, the other remaining in my curls, he slid the latex onto his whole length in a short amount of time. I was no expert, but I was fairly certain that putting on a condom with one hand that quick was impressive.

I knew it was all in experience, though I tried not to think about that, reminding myself that at the time, he hadn't had a choice. Of course not. In the back of my mind, I also reminded myself that for a part of the time he _did_ have a choice. Though the thought tugged at me for a little bit, I pushed it away. I knew that now, as he had said so many times before, I was his.

And he was mine.

That fact was enough to completely build up my courage, and vanish all nerves from my body. In that moment, I knew that nothing could stop us now. No more walls were between us, and it was time.

I slid myself down his body a few inches, raising my chest from his slightly. I also pulled away from his lips, still only a small space between both our faces. Our eyes met, and never in my life I had I seen anything so beautiful. So brilliant. The way he looked at me. . .It made me feel like a queen.

"I love you." He mouthed to me, his words touching into the deepest parts of my soul.

The wetness from my very obvious arousal was almost dripping now, and I knew he was as ready as I was. I raised my hips, placing them over his fully erect cock, the tip just resting at my entrance. I now understood why he had me on top – he was letting me take it slow, inch by inch.

There were two ways you could get into a pool; Slowly and hesitantly, testing the water with your toes. Or, diving straight in, taking whatever risks came along.

All of my life, I had eased my way into things, always hesitant with everything I did. I was ready for a change; I didn't _want_ to be that girl anymore. So that's what I did. Without any hesitation at all, I lowered myself onto him, pushing him inside of me in one, quick motion.

My very first instinct was to cry out in pain. He was just so. . .well, big. He wasn't completely in, but I wasn't sure if I could handle anymore. The feeling was discomfort, along with a lot of pain. I was completely still for a few moments, and so was Edward.

After getting used to the feeling, it no longer hurt as much. Sure, it was still painful, but now bearable. I realized, after another few moments, that it was more surprise than anything else. It was different, I decided. Kind of like putting in a tampon for the first time; weird.

Edward, still completely unmoving beneath me, let out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw my small smile. I lowered myself down on him even more, slower this time, still getting used to the sensations coursing through me. I also wanted _all_ of him inside of me. I wanted us _truly_ connected. He reached up, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand as his face softened.

This was probably boring him – I was probably the worst lay ever. I mean, come on, he was scared to death to move because he was afraid of hurting me. Those were _definite_ brownie points for him, but, that's not what I wanted right now.

Plus, he had already given me _one_ orgasm. I needed to give him something in return. Swallowing hardly, I pushed back the pain, clenching my eyes shut in concentration and slowly pulling him out of me. Not all of the way though. Once he was almost completely out of me, I pushed my hips back down, having him go even deeper this time.

A loud, "Bella." Rolled off of his tongue, encouraging me.

After I created a steady pattern, in and out, I began feeling more comfortable. The pain was soon turning into pleasure, causing me to need more. Edward, robotic before, was now unafraid to get into it.

He placed his hands on each of my hips, pushing me down on him, harder than before. I moaned too, not afraid to let loose anymore. I began realizing what he liked, grinding my hips around and squirming on top of him as we continued our motion. Small beads of sweat were beginning to form in his messy hair as I decided to pick up the pace just a little.

I ducked my face down to his, giving him breathless kisses all over his open mouth. Each time, I'd push down deeper than the last, causing him to hit spots I never even dreamed I had. I moved my mouth to his neck, lightly nibbling on it. His head fell back into the pillows, and he shut his eyes.

"Fuck, Bella," He muttered breathlessly, his voice throaty and sexy. "I'm gonna come."

As he said that, I was pretty sure I would again too. Once again, I felt my muscles began to tighten, and my hair was beginning to fall over my face like curtains as I concentrated on what I was doing.

The only sounds in the room were our heavy, panting breaths, along with the occasional moans. I knew that Edward's release was only seconds away; his grip on my hips became tighter – his thrusts became more urgent. As he slid in and out of me, I began building up for my second orgasm as well. My eyelids fluttered half-open, my eyes staying locked with Edward's face.

Suddenly, every muscle in his body clenched, and he shook beneath me. After a few moments of complete ecstasy, he became limp below me. "Bella." He sighed, his eyes still closed. It triggered my release.

My second orgasm was nothing like my first. It was equally, if not more amazing, more powering. And most importantly, more meaningful. I rocked and shook violently above him as the wave of pleasure over took me once again, my hands gripping his shoulders tightly. Once I came down, he pulled himself out of me, and I rested my head on his glistening chest.

"I love you," I whispered, repeating the words over and over breathlessly.

He gently stroked my back as both arms constricted around me. "I love you too, Bells." He whispered, his voice dripping with every ounce of honesty in him. "I love you too."

_One Month Later_.

The wind whipped at our faces as winter remained present. The cold was evident, and sadly unavoidable. It was Forks, Washington; What could you expect? If it was cold or wet, you'd find it here.

Maybe that was the reason I loved it so much. I knew that my normal feelings towards it should be hatred and bitterness – all of the painful memories that had happened in this small town. I don't know why, but I just couldn't find it in me not to like it here. It had a certain. . .charm. A rare beauty only decipherable if you really looked for it.

In some ways, here was the end. In most other ways, it was the beginning. The beginning of _life_ for me. A new start – a fresh start.

I walked along side of Edward, my hands covered by my mittens as one clung on tightly to Edward's. We could have driven; it was over a two mile walk. Yet, it didn't seem right to walk. I couldn't even explain it to Edward, but as always, he followed my lead without question.

I should have been cold, for more than one reason. I wasn't though. And not just because I had Edward's constant love radiating to me. It was because of the joy I felt in my heart, even if where we were going should have brought sadness. It didn't; Every cell in me was a live wire with not an ounce of regret for my actions.

I had never visited my mother's grave before. Charlie hadn't allowed me at the funeral, claiming I was too young to understand. As a child, he would never take me – of course not. When I got older, and was able to come here on my own, I wasn't able to. At the time, I was too scared and alone to do much of anything.

The thought sent a slight shiver through my body, warning me that this may be too much. I ignored it. Something inside of me was telling me that now was a good time, and that now was right.

There was a light layer of snow on the ground – just enough to make everything beautiful. I glanced at the sky, looking like there was more snow on the way. The clouds gave off an eerie, gray tint to the color around us, but we pressed forward.

Not a word was said, because none needed to be. Edward simply came here because I asked him. He knew that this was something I needed to do, and knew that supporting me would be the only thing he needed to do today. He was so good at it, I was confident that not a tear would be shed.

As we continued down the side walk, closing in on the cemetery, I knew that this was truly the last part of the puzzle; the last piece. After this, I'd finally be put together. After this, I'd be whole.

Only just over a month ago had it been the first time Edward and I made love. That weekend filled me with the most amazing memories and experiences I could have ever wished to have. We hadn't had sex since then, but that was only because of how busy we'd been lately. Catching up on work, adjusting schedules. Just busy.

Busy or not, I was getting more anxious by the day to try it again. I knew Edward was just trying to be the gentleman, like he _always_ did, but I really wished he'd end up having some laps in control and corner me into the wall again. I really, _really_ had liked that.

Without completely humiliating myself, I had been trying to plot on ways to tell him that for the past week. I wasn't _exactly_ shamelessly throwing myself at him, though it had gotten close a couple of times. I just really wanted it. Wanted him. Again. And again, and again.

As we got closer, I wondered if Renee could hear my thoughts. Blushing to myself, I realized she probably could. _Hey mom, how've you been? Is heaven nice? Dad's in jail. Oh, and by the way, your sweet, innocent daughter is no longer a virgin_. The thought almost brought a chuckle from my mouth, but I held it in.

Because the moment we walked through the squeaky gates of the cemetery, the atmosphere immediately changed. My heart felt like it weighed a million pounds, and Edward might as well have been invisible. Gulping, I shook off the strange feelings washing over me, holding even tighter to Edward's hand. He gave it a light squeeze.

Edward's quiet question broke the silent air. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Without a second of hesitation, I nodded. "Okay," He muttered to himself, letting go of my hand and wrapping an arm tightly around my waist instead. He was preparing to hold me together. I didn't want to tell him that it wasn't necessary. I was fine. In fact, I had never been better in my life.

Though I had never seen my mother's grave before, it was a fairly small cemetery, and wasn't that hard to fine. No longer following a path, our footsteps crunched on the light, crisp ground.

The tombstone was small – nothing overly fancy, just simple. It was perfect. Simply beautiful were the adjectives that came to my mind when I first saw it. From what I remembered of her, it was so. . .fitting.

She had never liked things overly complicated, always sticking with the basics. Yet, at the same time, she had this inner beauty; one that even when I was young, I strived for. At times, she could be hard to handle – crazy and erotic, but she was always responsible with me. She would always take care of me when I was hurt, read me stories before I went to bed.

Since now, I really hadn't realized how much I missed her. What I'd been missing out on all of these years.

I had Esme now though, I reminded myself. Esme, so fierce and protective of her loved ones; I couldn't have ever asked for a better replacement. I trusted Edward's mom with my life, because she had so much courage in her, and pureness. Thinking about her vanished all of the previous sadness.

We came to a stop a few feet in front of the grave, and all around me, everything grew silent. All I could hear was the sound of my steady heart, beating loudly through my chest.

I stared at the bold letters, engraved onto the stone:

**Renee Isabella Swan  
1970 – 2000  
"You are free, my love. You are home."**

Having a part of her name was an honor to me, and I knew I'd always be proud of it. My eyes focused once more on the quote below the dates, re-reading it once more. _You are free, my love_. _You are home_. What did it mean? Who had it engraved?

I went back in my mind, all those years ago, trying to remember anything about the mention of anything about her grave. I couldn't remember anyone other than me who was close to her. . .

Unless. . .But it couldn't be. Definitely not. I couldn't believe the idea even crossed my mind. But what if it was possible? Sometimes, things in this world were unexplainable, but there was one thing I knew for sure. Everything happens for a reason.

I was okay with that, and would accept it without any internal arguing. There was no point in waiting around for answers I was never going to get.

Reasons like why Charlie abused me all of those years, why he killed my mother, why he drank so much. I knew there was a reason. And while that reason remained unknown, and probably always _would_ be a mystery, I knew that the quote below my mother's name was _not_ a coincidence. Pondering no further, I accepted that, letting out the breath that I had been holding.

Edward's arm remained securely around me, as he stood silently besides me. Just where I needed him.

Edward and I were two crazy-in love teenagers; We've _always_ been that. Only, there's always been something standing in our way – obstacles we've had to overcome, or painful things we've had to face. Now, finally, we could be what we were always meant to be. No more obstacles, no more nothing.

Just Edward and I.

I glanced up at him, meeting his eyes with mine. They were calm, and reserved. Whenever I would look into Edward's green eyes, there would always be sadness somewhere in them. Sometimes, more deep than others. Now, for once, there was none. Just pure contentment, and a small smile of assurance that everything would be okay. I believed it – there was not a doubt in my being.

Healing would be a long process, but in time, I'd learn to move on and live. It was all me now. Edward would help – I knew that – but this was something I needed to fix. I would fix myself. I would become who I've always wanted to be. _Someone_.

I didn't cry, just like I knew I wouldn't. My body was completely vacant of sadness, and there were no more tears in me. Instead, I felt awake. Like I was opening my eyes and seeing things for the first time. Everything was clear, brilliant, and beautiful. My beginning. I softly shut my eyes.

The moments went by as this new feeling swept through me, coursing in my veins. When I finally resurfaced, I was a different person. Different, and yet still the same.

I was still Bella Swan, nothing-out-of-the-ordinary girl from the small town of Forks, Washington, and would always _be_ that. I would have the same thoughts, the same wants. But now, I could really appreciate life.

It's like Edward had once said – You had to go to hell and back to _truly_ appreciate what you had. I never thought it'd be possible, but much good came out of a lot of bad.

Charlie brought me to Edward; to the Cullen's. Even though I owed him nothing, deep down, I would always be thanking him for bringing us together. Charlie knew as well as I did that they were the better family for me. Even after all he had done to me, he had to have known that much. Edward, saving my life numerous times, knew it too. He held a blind-rage of resentment for my father, but not even he could be bitter about that.

It was for the better, I told myself. Crazy or not, all of this stuff happened for a reason. I knew that when I was older and had kids of my own, I'd be telling them my story.

Though it was one not easy to tell, it had to be known. Reality and fate were two completely different things, both cruel and unfair at times, but the lesson here was to move on. Holding hatred for things unchangeable was a pointless waste. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way – keeping things to myself that should have been told years ago. I learned my lesson, and now it was time to move on.

I pulled away from Edward's gentle grip, taking a step forward and kneeling before my mother's grave. My hand reached out, slowly tracing the letters engraved into the granite. I memorized the picture for later in my head, unsure of when I'd be back again to visit.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and walked over to Edward. I gave him a small smile. "Are you ready to go home?" I asked, taking his hand as he held it out for me.

"Wherever you go," He responded quietly, "Know that I'll be there too. Always." Bending his face down, he lightly touched his lips to mine. Even after he pulled away, the sweetness of the kiss continued to linger on my lips.

We exited through the rusty gates, hand in hand. Without glancing back once, I left my eight years of burden behind in the cemetery.

**

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**

**I've made a video dedicated to this story.  
The link's on my profile**

**This chapter's song is _Beautiful Love – The Afters_**

**Remember, look out for the epilogue soon.  
**

**A/N: **Send me everything. Send me your reviews, send me your PMs, send me your love. Everything. Send all you've got. I love you.


	30. Epilogue

**Okay, it's late. It's really late, but it's here.  
The final chapter of Face Down.  
I know.  
Crazy stuff, right?**

**  
Well, not to worry, m'dears.  
If you're not sick and tired of me yet, go and check out the first chapter of **_**The Runaways**_**.  
I just posted the first chapter a few days ago.**

**I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  
I truly love you all. So much.  
It means the world to me that you've followed the story – reading it and sharing your comments and feedback with me. It really is one of the best thing's in the world.  
It sounds odd, but it's true.  
I live off of your guys' support.  
So thank you.  
Thank you so, **_**so**_** much.**

* * *

**EPOV – 3 Years Later**

"Just keep pushing!" I urged breathlessly as her hand clung on tightly to my shirt. Her face was sticky with sweat and her desperate grunting was becoming more profound. We had been in here for the past two hours, and still nothing.

The baby wasn't due for another two weeks, but I was confident that it'd be fine. In fact, I knew it would. Call it crazy; when I had weird feelings and shit about something strongly, I'd always end up being right.

"Get him out of me!" She whined in a loud tone. I cringed a little, grimacing at the sight before me. There were a few doctors working over her swollen form, continuing to help her with the contractions.

It was moments like these in which I was the most lucky motherfucker alive to have a dick. Cause let me tell you, I would _not_ fair well with the whole "giving-birth-out-of-the-vag" thing. Not at all.

I glanced at the clock once more, wondering where they were. Jasper and Bella were suppose to be here any minute. The look on Alice's scrunched up face told me she was thinking the same thing.

Here's how it ended up working out – The four of us met in Wyoming , the stop in which all of our flights were transferred. We were heading to Carlisle and Esme's for Christmas break, and college was off for two weeks.

Bella and I's college was a whole state away from Alice and Jasper's, but our flights were scheduled just so that we could meet up for the second plane ride.

Jasper had ran off to the bathroom and went to quickly get some food for us. Bella had gone off to transfer our luggage on to the right plane. I had ended up sitting alone next to a very pregnant, _very _irritated Alice _Hale_. Yes, they were married now. It didn't matter that they were young – everyone knew that they would be the only one each other would ever want.

So anyways. All of a sudden, Alice started squealing loudly, causing a scene and shit. When I asked what was wrong, I watched as her shocked-gaze traveled down to her _lower area_. It was wet. I knew this meant something, but it was so unreal, for the moment I hadn't been able to figure out what the hell it had meant.

_"Uh, Al," I asked, grimacing a little, ". . .Did you forget to, you know, use a toilet?"_

_Her eyes narrowed, giving off the most menacing look she could manage at the moment. Also followed by a very painful punch in the shoulder. "No, you dumbass!" She hollered at me, "My fucking water broke."_

_I stared at her for a moment, not comprehending._

_Despite her shock, fury, and panic, she was able to roll her eyes. "Asshole," She said, a smile almost filtering through her lips. "He's here! The baby's here!"_

_Everyone looked at us, confused, but they couldn't stare for long. I glanced around the spacious airport, looking to find either Bella or Jasper – both better situated for this shit – but saw no signs of them. _

_Shit._

_Who knew when Jasper would be back; Bella would be gone for a while as well. Alice's breathing became shallow, and I could tell she was about to throw a fit if I didn't get her out of that damn place in two seconds._

_So I scooped her into my arms, bridal style, and ran for the door. "I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" She kept shouting loudly, clamping her hands over her tear-stained face. "I swear, Edward, if you drop me, you will never see the light of day again!"_

_As I carried her through that airport, we gained many strange and concerned looks. I'm pretty sure some people thought I was kidnapping poor, pregnant Alice._

_I finally got the parking ramp, unsure of what to do. My car was off in Chicago , so how the hell was I suppose to get her too the fucking hospital? A taxi was out of the question, and there was no time to rent a rental. Frantically, I glanced around the lot._

_I spotted a large, over-weight woman climbing into her car. She was the only one around. "Hey!" I hollered loudly, "Hey, wait!" She stopped, turning her head in my direction._

_Before even asking her, keeping Alice securely in my arms, I ran to the woman's red Eclipse. "Preggo's about to have her eggo," I gestured my eyes towards Alice, flaming in my arms. I tell you, if looks could kill. . ._

_The lady gave me a sweet smile. "Say no more, kiddo. I'll hop in the back with your wife, and you drive. I'm much to old to be speeding." She winked. I didn't waste my breath telling her we weren't married. Instead, without anymore consent, I basically threw Alice into the back seat, and the woman squished her way in next to her._

_Before I knew it, I was speeding down the busy streets of Wyoming. In the back, Alice moaned loudly, cringing her face up in pain._

_"It's okay, sweetie, just breathe," The woman ordered softly. She saw my puzzled look through the mirror, rolling her eyes at my adolescence. "Been there, done that," She explained, waving her hand dismissively._

_I remained silent for the rest of the drive, not asking anymore questions. Pregnancy was not something I wanted to touch in on with this stranger._

_"Ohmyfuckinggod!" Alice shouted in one long word. "Getitfuckingoutofme!"_

_The lady, Clair, as I found out her name to be earlier, shot Alice a slightly disapproving look. I almost snorted. In this day and age, young adults swore. A lot. Me, being the perfect example of such displays._

_Finally, I sped into the hospital parking lot. I knew for sure that Alice was about to burst._

So Clair was outside in the waiting room, refusing to leave until she got to see the baby. I couldn't protest with that; She had spared Alice having to give birth in an airport parking lot. Bless her fucking soul.

Things being as they were, my brain hadn't been working at first. After an hour of sitting in that dull place, listening to her struggling attempts, I had realized that both Bella _and_ Jasper had slipped my mind. I had completely forgotten to call them and tell them what was happening. When I had told Alice that, if she could have at the time, she would have cut up my balls and fed them to Emmett for fucking breakfast.

Seeing as it _was_ rush hour, I knew that traffic would be a bitch for them, and that was part of the reason that it was taking them so long. I also began wondering how _they_ were going to end up getting here.

"EDWARD!" Alice gasped, clutching both of her hands on to my shirt this time, pulling me towards her. "WHERE'S MY FUCKING HUSBAND?"

"Shit, Alice." I let out a stressed laugh. "I don't know."

All of a sudden, tears began streaming uncontrollably out of her eyes. "He's going to miss it!" She sobbed, "He's going to miss the birth of our first child!"

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to that. She was right – if he didn't hurry his ass here soon, he _would_ miss Alice's birth. And I was pretty sure I wasn't the right motherfucker to fill in the job for him.

Plus, I had already seen things I absolutely _never wanted to see_. Don't get me wrong; Alice was attractive and shit, but I loved her like a sister, and fuck, it was _not_ in my place to see _that_ part of her. I shuddered, just thinking about it once again.

The door suddenly flew open, and in came the man of the hour. Jasper's face was a sight to see, I tell you. It was sweaty, nervous, and scared shitless. A grin broke out across my face.

"About time you got here, man," I released Alice's grip from my shirt, stood up, patted him on the back and walked towards the door. That was about as much as I could take of _that_.

On my way out the door, Bella flew in past me. I caught her by the waist, and spun her around to face me. Her eyes were all bright and shiny, and she had this huge smile plastered on her face.

"Well aren't _we _happy," I taunted, quickly kissing her on the lips.

She laughed and pushed away, smacking me in the chest. "Get out of here," She rolled her eyes, "I think you've helped _enough _for one day."

"Couldn't agree more." And with that, I was out the door in a flash.

I sat in the waiting room next to Clair, flipping through a shitty, Hollywood tabloid. After a few moments, I sighed irritatedly and threw that shit back down on the table. Who _read_ that?

"She's sure something, that little one," Clair said in awe, turning to smile at me. I remember when _I _was like that." I gave her a doubtful look – When _you_ were like that? What was that lady, like, five hundred pounds ago? "You sure are lucky to have her as a wife."

Deciding it was a good time to explain myself, I shook my head. "Nah, she's like my sister." I told her. _Trust me, I would never be able to hand _that_ as my wife._

"Oh." Clair responded, a little surprised.

"Yeah." I responded, looking away awkwardly. A few moments of silence went by.

"Where's your special one then, dear?" She asked me. Talking with this crazy lady was _not_ something I exactly wanted to do. But, since I really had nothing else to do, I decided 'what the hell'?

I didn't answer at first. A kind smile broke across the lady's face. "It's the other one, isn't it?"

"How did you know?" I grinned, still genuine curiosity there though.

"It's obvious in your eyes," She answered simply. "When she walked in here with the tall blond, I knew that they were with you and your pregnant friend." Her knowledge of all things baby-related was _really_ starting to creep me out. "When she asked for 'Alice Cullen' at the front desk, you could see it in her eyes that the intent of the question was not for her friend, but for her lover."

"And the same goes for you, Hon," She patted me on the shoulder. "I can see that you're anxious for your friend, Alice, but I can also see that you're more anxious to be with your woman again. Like I said, it's in your eyes."

"But, how did you–" She cut me off.

"Don't question it, dear," She said in a condescending tone, "Just cherish it. Because I can see that she must be some special gal to have created the life present in your eyes."

I shut my mouth, nodding without further questions. A few minutes later, I responded in a whisper. "Yeah," my voice was a little awe-sounding, "She _is_ a special gal."

It was completely true, and always would be. Ever since she had jumped that major hurdle in her life, everything had been going uphill since then. She became part of the family; the drama at school was hushed; and the both of us were able to go off to college together.

We had chosen somewhere close, yet far away from our real home. Carlisle and Esme had boughten us a house near campus, abling us to be together more often and have the privacy we needed.

I was in the medical field, practicing all kinds of medicines and shit. I knew I was making Carlisle proud – By making him proud, I was fulfilling a life mission. That's all I ever wanted. To be thought of as a _person_. It wasn't something I thought I'd like at first, but actually, I sorta fucking loved it.

Bella went into to studying literature; creative writing and analyzing novels and shit. She also would go to high schools around the local area, telling others about her story, and begging them in the same situation to let their voices be heard.

It was amazing how many lives she had touched because of it.

She had let me come and sit in on some of her assemblies. It seemed that each time she gave the same, long story, the life in her grew. Obviously she wasn't completely healed – It was quite possible that she never would be anyways. But you could tell the change in her; you could see it in her eyes.

Lately, my family had been really bugging me with the question of when I was going to propose to Bella. We were obviously old enough now, but I think both of us had a silent agreement on how we didn't want to rush things. I mean, I wanted her to be my wife more than anything in the world, but what _was_ the rush?

I had actually decided we were going to take shit _real _slow from now on. After witnessing Alice's wonderfully pleasant nine months of pregnancy, I realized that a kid definitely wasn't something we needed at the moment. I loved Bella, obviously, but I'm not sure I was ready to love _pregnant_ Bella. Pregnant, hormonal, cranky, bitchy, whiny Bella. Okay, okay. I was over-exaggerating, but still. If she was _anything_ like Alice was, than holding off on a baby for as long as possible would be my best option.

Something suddenly struck me. Carlisle and Esme were completely unaware of what was now going on, and were expecting us at the house in three hours. Well, given the circumstances, I was fairly certain that those plans really wouldn't work out anymore.

I flipped out my phone, quickly dialing Carlisle's number. After the first two rings, he answered. "Dad," I quickly blurted into the phone.

"Edward?" He asked, his voice confused. "Aren't you suppose to be on a plane at this moment, son?"

"Alice is in labor." I got straight to the point.

"She's in _labor_?" His voice was shocked as he repeated my statement. Esme must have been close by, because I heard her loud gasp and joyful laughter.

"A Christmas baby!" I heard her muffled singing, "How adorable!" There was some shuffling, and suddenly my mother was on the other end of the line.

"Edward, tell me _everything_," She asked excitedly, sounding like she was asking a thirteen year old girl how her first date went. I rolled my eyes. Some things would just never change.

"We were at the airport, getting ready to board our next flight," I explained. "I drove Al to the hospital and Bells and Jazz met up with us there a little after."

"Oh my!" She gasped, "How's Jasper, by the way? Is he doing okay? I remember Phil's reaction when. . ." She quickly trailed off, realizing the slip she had made. I stiffened in my seat, grasping the phone just a _little_ harder than before. A cloud of remorse filled her tone as she spoke again in a hushed voice. "Ed, I'm sorry."

After a few moments of silence, I sighed. "It's okay, mom."

And it was. Wasting my time and energy on hating that motherfucker's guts was becoming way too much of a pointless effort. He was in jail, where he would stay for the rest of his life. What was the point in wanting anything different? I didn't finish that thought.

I was about to tell her about how nervous Jazz had looked when he had came into the labor room, but stopped as the door to the lobby swung open and in came an exhausted looking Bella.

Completely forgetting about my mother on the other line, I jumped out of my seat and basically ran to her. Once I reached her, a slow smile began to spread across her face. "Ally's a mommy." She grinned as I pulled her into a tight hug.

After a moment of embracing her, I released her and we walked to the room together. I glanced back at Claire on last time – she winked at me, smiling genuinely about what we had discussed before.

With our hands intertwined, we stepped through the door. My gaze fell on Alice first – her face hot, sweaty and exhausted. She was looking up at Jasper in complete adoration. Then, my gaze moved to Jasper's face. It was relieved, tired, and enthused. I followed my gaze down to what they were staring at.

The little baby in Alice's arms.

When I saw him, I almost laughed out loud. I held it in though, because I could feel Alice's murderous glare as she guessed my thoughts. "It's so. . .cute?" I couldn't help it. I bursted into a couple, quiet chuckles.

Don't get me wrong – Babies were cute and shit when they were little, but _not _when they first came outta the tummy. No one could argue with _that_. This thing was scrawny, bloody, gooey, and multi-colored. I kept my opinions to myself though, knowing that was always best.

I glanced at the nurse standing on the other side of Alice – her face a hard mask of disapprovement towards me. I sighed to myself, wondering if I'd ever finally find a nurse who actually _liked _me.

Because, obviously I had had my fair share of bitch-tastic ones in the past.

"Here, Ed," Alice held her arms out with the tiny thing in it.

If I were being honest, I was just a tad bit on the nervous side. I had never actually _held_ one of these before, and I was seriously afraid that I'd do something wrong. Bella, sensing my stress, rested a hand gently on my back, rubbing her thumb around in soft circles. Of course, I was instantly relieved.

I reached my arms out to take him, praying to God he wouldn't fucking pee on me. Okay, not really, but still. I didn't like baby pee all over me regardless.

As I took him in my arms, I held him tightly to my chest, cradling him in my arms. I glanced up at Bella who's face was lit up into a beautiful smile. I grinned back, then smiled back down at the baby. For a fleeting moment, I wondered what it'd be like for Bella and I to have a kid.

_Nine months of pregnancy,_ the voice in the back of my mind chanted. Right. We could wait awhile for that, I reminded myself.

I looked to see Alice wearing a face similar to Bella's – It was glowing. "Want to know his name, Ed?" She asked brightly as Jasper leaned down and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

I nodded, glancing down at the small thing in my arms once again. I had to admit; once I was holding it, it was a hell of a lot cuter.

"Masen Carlisle Hale." Alice smiled proudly.

Realization it me and I looked up with wide eyes to meet hers. "Masen?" I wondered out loud.

Jasper walked over to me, placing a hand on my back and glancing down at his new son. "You've been through _so_ much, Ed," He told me, "There are so many things you've overcome, and your journey symbolizes that there's hope for anyone, bro. How could we not name him that?"

So first I sort of just gaped at him, because I couldn't believe the words just spoken had come from _Jazz's_ mouth. Then, I felt completely touched. For a fleeting moment, I felt like I was going to cry. Hell, I almost did. Except, the moment was ruined by a ridiculously loud burst of energy through the door.

"I'm here!" Emmett cried enthusiastically, running across the small room to stand besides Alice. "What'd I miss? What'd I miss? Say, Alice, you look a _lot_ thinner than before. . .has the baby been working out in there?" He leaned his head down, completely oblivious to the child in my arms.

We were all looking at him with the same expression: _What the hell?_

I sighed. I guess some things would never change. "Dumbass," Alice giggled, swatting him away, "I already _had_ the baby."

Just as she said that, an exhausted looking Rosalie jogged through the door. She spotted Emmett, narrowing her eyes at him. "Damn it, Em," She scowled at him, "I'm not as in shape as you are, and next time, you could _at least_ hold the elevator for me."

At the same time, both Emmett and Rose gasped. "You've already had the thing?"

She nodded, beaming proudly then waving her hand over towards me. Their eyes zeroed in on Masen, now asleep in my arms. Then, they quickly shuffled their way over.

Before they could say anything about the baby, I quickly asked, "How the fuck did you guys get here so quickly? We're like. . .a state and a half away. . .?"

"Language!" Alice shouted at me, glaring, "Not around the baby, Edward!" She scolded loudly. I rolled my eyes, leaning really close to his tiny face.

"Masen," I whispered, smirking at Alice while doing so, "You're _fucking_ amazing."

"I wanna turn!" Emmett suddenly whined, reaching for him. I handed him the small bundle, sighing contently as he left my arms. I wrapped an arm tightly around Bella's waist, pulling her towards me. She leaned up, kissing my cheek and grinning against my skin.

"Family's private jet," Emmett exclaimed, answering my previous question. I gave him a very skeptical look, judging his sanity. "Dude, I've got money – Might as well use it." I nodded hesitantly, running a hand through my hair and then shaking my head.

"I didn't even know we _had_ a private jet. . ." I muttered to myself.

"What's his name?" Rosalie asked, stroking the small baby's face as Emmett held him gingerly.

"Masen Carlisle Cullen," Alice stated proudly, winking at me.

"That's _adorable_," She gushed, kissing his face. "He looks exactly like you and Jasper. You two made a _good_ looking baby, lemme tell ya." I gave Jazz a subtle thumbs up, and he rose his eyebrows and nodded, smirking.

Alice turned to the nurse with a hopeful look in her eyes. "When will Masen and I be able to leave here?" She asked in a total kiss-ass voice.

"Well," the nurse responded, "It seems that both you and the baby are doing just fine – no complications or etcetera, so in a few hours, I think you two will be good to go." She smiled warmly.

A sly smile spread across Alice's face as she slowly turned her head to Emmett, "Say, Em," She asked in a devious voice, "Exactly how fast does said family jet go? . . ."

The same look spread across Emmett's face as he nodded his head and smirked at her. "Excellent plan, little one. Excellent plan."

A few hours later, I pulled into the driveway in a rental hummer – Bella riding shotgun, Alice, Jasper, and Masen in the middle section, and then Rose and Emmett grumbling from the backseat. It was a full car, and _thank_ fucking god it wasn't a long ride.

With the combination of the baby crying, Alice complaining about cramps, Emmett whining about being late for dinner, and Rosalie scolding him, I had a rather _large_ headache.

And to top it all off, as soon as we rented this damn thing we had to swing by the nearest Target and purchase a baby-seat for the baby. I was starting to sense a pattern here; This kid was a _lot_ of work.

Just another thing to add on to the list of why Bella and I should continue to take shit slow. I was starting to think that maybe I should write all of this down.

It was just six o'clock, and it would be a surprise to Carlisle and Esme that we were showing up this evening. Due to the Hale's recent renovation of their family, they weren't expecting us until sometime tomorrow night. Of course, that wouldn't be the case though.

We Cullen's had our ways.

I decided to go first, casually walking through the door and throwing the keys onto the counter just like I always used to. I also slid off my jacket, throwing it on the coat rack. I could smell the essence of turkey coming from the kitchen, and made my way to where my parent's voices were.

"I'm starving," I exclaimed impatiently as I walked into the kitchen, "When's dinner going to be ready, Mom? It's taking _forever_." As I said this, Bella and the rest of them walked into the room behind me, all with huge grins.

At first, I almost thought Esme would burst into tears she was so happy. She threw her arms around my neck, hugging me in a fierce embrace. I hugged her back tightly as we shared a moment. I hadn't seen my mother in a couple of months, and I had been missing her like fucking crazy.

As soon as she released me, she did the same with Bella. Then she squealed loudly as she was introduced to Masen Hale, newest addition to our lovely family.

I hugged Carlisle too, wishing him a Merry Christmas. Just like Esme, I had missed him like fucking crazy. Ever since the trial and the whole Bella thing happened, him and I had become much closer. I loved that I finally had a man in my life to look up to.

Eventually, after all of the reuniting was done, we finally made our way over to the dining room.

I pulled Bella's chair out for her as she sat down, like always, and then sat down next to her. She shot me a warm smile, causing her eyes to smolder intensely in the glowing room. Esme had worked hard to light candles and put up decorations. She truly was incredible.

We passed everything around in a circle, dish by dish. All of the formal shit was creeping me out a bit, but a definitely pleasant change to Raman noodles every other night. The look on Bella's face told me that she was thinking the exact same thing.

It's not that she couldn't cook – It's that we never had time. College was a time-consuming thing, and whenever we _did_ have a few moments to breath, the time was invested in other. . .activities.

With Emmett on the other side of me, I had to watch him take three servings of everything, filling up not one, but _two_ plates for himself. Don't get me wrong – I loved Christmas dinner as much as the next motherfucker, but honestly? Lay off a bit dude, I wanted to tell him, those cinnamon rolls could easily turn into fat rolls.

"Mmm," He moaned with a mouthful of food, "Ez," He grinned at Esme, "This is some _damn _good food."

"Thank you, dear," She smiled at him, taking small petite bites of the food on her plate.

"Emmett." I gritted through my teeth after a few moments of silence, "You sound like a fucking cow, man. Close your damn mouth." I swear, if he didn't soon, I'd stab him in the leg with my fork. I really would.

I saw Esme shake her head, rolling her eyes. "Edward?" She sighed, "Will your mouth _ever_ clean up?"

I grinned at her, "Oh, come _on_." I chuckled, "You know I have to keep it PG during classes. This is the one time I actually _get_ to say what I want."

It was Bella's turn to roll her eyes. "What ever you say." I heard her murmur under her breath.

About half-way through our meal, Carlisle started up a conversation about my classes. Of course, when he spoke anything medical-terms with me, his eyes would light up at the fact that I was studying to become a doctor. I didn't mind though – I fucking _loved_ that he was proud of me.

And even though after a while, it got beyond irritating, I smiled and bared it, knowing that I was humoring him.

No one brought up a single word about Charlie or Phil, as always. In fact, other than Bella's school preaching, neither of those two dicks had been brought into a conversation. No visiting, no calling, no nothing. The way it _should_ be.

Among with picking up the car-seat at Target, we had picked up many other wonderful things: diapers, bottles, a portable crib, _and_ that sorry-ass-excuse-for-milk-formula that they fed babies.

Alice was feeding it to him right now and that shit smelled disgusting.

Poor Jasper – He'd have to deal with many sleepless nights in the future to come. I took a mental note reminding myself to send that poor bastard a fruit basket sometime soon. Because, you know, who _didn't_ want to get a basket full of fruit on any occasion? That's what I wanted to know.

But when I study Jazz's face, there was not a single hint of irritation or annoyance. It was pure adoration – Nothing but love for his wife and his new son. That's what I wanted to have one day; I wanted to be able to feel that way.

I was perfectly content with my life at the moment for now though. Amazing girlfriend, a house, and I was on my way beginning a kick-ass job. What more did I need at the moment?

Nothing. I had everything and more.

I remembered back years ago, when at the time, all of this would have seemed like a surreal dream. At the time, I had expected that I wouldn't live beyond my teen years, because of what I had to do. That was at the time.

Now, I knew I'd be alright. There was no more uncertainty with my future anymore.

It was the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.

I nudged Bella in the shoulder, getting her attention. As soon as I had it, a huge smile spread across her face. "Hey Jingle Bells," I whispered. "Guess what? I love you."

We leaned into each other to share a chaste kiss; nothing too inappropriate for the dinner table. " I love you too," She responded, her tone soft and warm – just like everything about her.

"Are you two going to have sex later tonight?" Emmett suddenly blurted out, irritated. "Because if you are, save the affection and shit for _then_ and _not_ during my _wonderful_ meal." He narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to _keep_ my mashed potatoes, thank you very much."

I gave him a murderous look as we all shook our heads and sighed at the same time. "Emmett!"

I reached my hand over, shoving his head face down into the bowl of potatoes.

Like I said – Some things would just never change.

* * *

**I really hope you guys enjoyed the story.  
You have no idea how much I enjoyed writing it.  
It's been such a long journey – I can't believe it's over.**

**But like I said, go check out my new story: **_**The Runaways**_**  
If you're a fan of Darkward – you'll love it. :D  
Heehee. But seriously. Check it out.**

**So I'll be posting a whole info section on **_**Face Down**_** on my profile soon.  
Why I wrote it; What inspired me; Some extremely FAQ questions; etc.  
So if you're curious, you can watch for that to be on my profile soon.**

**Once again, I thank you all.  
From the absolute bottom of my heart. You have no idea.**

**--Justine(:**

_**Face Down: 4/10/09 - 11/2/09**_


	31. Outtake: The First Night: 5 Years Ago

**Suprise!  
Heehee, I'm back(:****  
I _did_ mention something about outtakes at one point, didn't I?  
Well, I always make good on my promises. Always.**

**So here it is - the first out of three outtakes for Face Down.  
Actually, this one's more of an "extra", but still...**

**I wasn't even sure if I was going to write this at first, but I felt you all deserved it.  
It was hard to write, but in the end, worth it. Knowing how important this story is to some of you just warms my heart.  
Here you go -- My Thanksgiving gift to you.**

**Oh, and if you're not tired of me yet, why don't you head on over to check out my new story; The Runaways.**

**--Justine.**

* * *

I sat in the front passenger seat of my dad's BMW, looking out the window, wondering where we were going. It was past ten o'clock, and the streets were lit up by the busy shops and clubs of downtown Chicago.

I wondered briefly what it would be like to live somewhere else – Somewhere quiet and remote. Somewhere that had fresh, clean air, and somewhere that you didn't always have to worry about getting mugged and watching your back. I sighed quietly to myself. Yeah, wouldn't that be the life.

Phil was speeding down the roads at his usual fifty-mile-per hour speed, even though we were only in a thirty zone. I would have told him to slow down, but I was used to this. Well, his driving, actually. I wasn't used to going anywhere with him.

In fact, I still hadn't figured out where we going yet, or what his plans were. Esme had left long before we did, and was out working her night-shift. A pang of sadness filled me – I never got to spend any time with my mom anymore; always left home alone with my bastard of a father. Even though I couldn't say it out loud or to his face, it felt good to think.

I considered asking him where we were going for a minute. After all, it was a Tuesday night and I hadn't completely finished my homework yet. I was sure that if Esme knew I wasn't at home right now, she'd be flat out pissed.

It wasn't my fault though – If Phil asked me to do something, I'd do it no questions asked. It had always been that way. I didn't obey because I wanted to, I obeyed because I had to.

All I ever wanted in life was my father's love.

Plus even though I hated my father, no matter who you were, being out late at night with your dad was cool. It just. . .was. Besides, Paul always talked about how him and his dad made late-night trips to the grocery store to buy all sorts of bad junk food. Maybe that's what it would be like tonight. Maybe my dad was actually wanting to bond with me.

Suddenly we came to a screeching stop as we halted in front of an unfamiliar looking restaurant. He ordered me to get out of the car. Once I was out, I got a closer look at the place we were about to enter. It wasn't a restaurant at all – It was a bar. Judging by the couple passed out women on the sidewalk nearby, I was guessing it was also a strip club.

Instead of getting excited, like a normal thirteen year-old boy would in a situation like this, a flood of nerves raged through me, and I began to feel very uneasy. What was he up to?

Without even thinking about it, my feet had ended up staying locked in their position by the car – stiff and unmoving. I was unsure of what to do. My father, noticing that I wasn't right behind him, suddenly sped around in my direction.

"What the hell are you doing, Edward?" His voice was almost like a poisonous acid, and threat seeped through the surface.

"I was just. . .um. . ." I paused, stuttering. My eyes met his, and found them to be cold and hostile. They almost even scared me a bit. I had that same gut feeling in me, telling me that something about this was wrong, but I went against my better judgment.

Quickly hustling to his side, I decided that if this was what would make him like me, I'd do it. I'd do anything; anything to have him love me for once in my life. Once I was at his side, a curt smile spread up at the corners of his mouth. "You were saying?"

"Nothing." I mumbled as we walked up the steps and to the doors.

I had never been in a bar before. Obviously. But even though I had nothing to base my observations off of, I was fairly positive that this was _nothing_ like your average bar. Come to think of it, it probably wasn't even like your average strip club either.

I honestly didn't know _where_ the hell we were.

What was even more disturbing was the fact that no one had even checked for an ID from me, or to see if I was even twenty-one. I could already tell that this place probably wasn't the most legal place to be.

I kept telling myself over and over again that if I played it off cool, Phil wouldn't hate me as much. I hoped, at least. Otherwise I was basically fucked. Royally.

If I got caught here by someone from school, I wouldn't be able to play football anymore for school, I'd probably get suspended _or_ expelled, and sent to one of those creepy learning centers for effed up kids on drugs and alcohol. Fortunately for me, I was on _neither_, so I was fairly certain that my ass would not sit well in a place like that.

Still though, the thought gave me the creeps, so I decided that playing it cool _and_ laying low would be the way to go. Besides, it's not like any adult from my school was actually going to be here. . .right?

The room we were in was spacious, yet crowded with flocks of people; the lighting was dark and mysterious, and colors danced around on the walls as the music blasted out of loud amps on the walls.

I remained right at Phil's side, unsure of where I was suppose to go otherwise. Before I knew it though, I was being shoved aside by a tall, blond woman in underwear and heels.

"Philly!" She cried, throwing her arms around my dad. I watched in awe as she shoved her lips to his and he kissed her back. "I've missed you! You haven't been here in like _forever_." She lowered her head, making her eyes sultry and mysterious.

"It has been too long, hasn't it, love?" Before I knew it, she was gone as soon as she had came. Before I could ask who that was, or express my feelings of shock and disapprovement to him, another young woman appeared out of no where and was now grabbing his crotch while pressing her chest in his face.

Just like the other one, he had not pushed her away, like a married man _should_ have. I suddenly felt completely enraged at him. How could he do this to Esme? I mean, I had suspected that he had been cheating on her a couple of times, but still. Now that the fact was right in front of me, it sent waves of pain through my body. Did he have any idea of what this would do to her if she ever found out?

He may not have loved her that much, but to her, he was the world. As much as I had always hated him, I always respected the fact that my mother was in love with him. Or, at least she thought she was. Hell, I wouldn't know either way. I wasn't a girl.

After the other girl moved on, he began making his way through the loads of skanks and hoes. I mean, don't get me wrong – these ladies were as hot as hell and whatnot, but it was obvious that they were sluts and whores. Or, in a simpler term: easy. I knew that all of them were really just trash, and that they were only desperate.

Just like every other opinion I had about this place though, I kept my mouth shut and watched as Phil ordered a large glass of Miller.

I sat at the bar with him while he waited for his beer, trying not to draw any attention to myself. A few girls, in their early twenties I'd guess, shot me cute grins and smiles, but I just ignored them. I didn't want to get in trouble with any body. I didn't want to make Phil mad.

The bar tender slid him his over-filled glass as foam spilled on to the already sticky counter. Everything about this place was shit, as a matter of fact.

Unexpectedly, Phil slid the glass over in front of me, causing more of it to spill on the counter. "Here, boy," He said in an appraising tone, "Drink up." I stared at him, waiting for him to pull it away and tell me he was joking. I waited, but it never came. Instead, he just sat there, silently judging me. I hated when he looked at me like that – like I was some goddamn science experiment.

"I don't think I'm sup–. . ." I started, but he cut me off abruptly.

"Drink it." His tone was final, and harsh.

Afraid of how he would react if I refused, I quickly took a large gulp of it in my mouth. Grimacing once I had time to process the taste, I refrained from spitting it back up and all over him. I hadn't ever drank before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Now, I could safely say that this stuff was _fucking_ disgusting.

"I'm going to go and talk to some people," He told me, once he was pleased that I had gotten a few sips in me. I couldn't _not_ drink it with him sitting there watching me – Even though I was fairly positive that it tasted like fizzing squirrel pee.

I nodded, biting my lip not to protest or say anything. What I really wanted was to leave this place immediately, but by the looks of it, I knew that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

"Oh, and Bill?" he waved the bartender over, "Get him another once he's finished with this one; Make sure he drinks 'em both, 'aight?" My stomach instantly became uneasy as he said this. There was no possible way I could down two huge glasses of beer. Let alone even another sip.

"You got it, Phil," He nodded to my dad, then turned and gave me a skeptical look.

Once he was out of sight, I slumped into my stool, glaring at the full glass before me. If I didn't drink both glasses like he said I was suppose to, there'd most likely be hell to pay. If I _did_ drink both glasses like I was supposed to, who knew what would happen to me. I was already feeling dizzy as it was, and the strobe lights were giving me a pulsing headache.

Almost an hour later – still no signs of Phil anywhere – I finally finished the last of the second glass. My throat burned and stung like hell, and my stomach was raging. My vision was fuzzy, along with my hearing and movements.

I had never been drunk before, obviously, but I knew that it was definitely not something I'd ever want to experience again. Day after day I saw my dad passed out drunk somewhere in the house, and I always wondered how he enjoyed it so much. Now, I was wondering it even more. There was nothing remotely pleasant about this experience, and frankly, I felt about ready to pass out. Or throw up.

Or maybe throw up _then_ pass out. Yeah – that sounded about right.

I looked around the room once again, my head absolutely throbbing. I couldn't spot Phil anywhere, and all I could hear was the roaring base of the sultry rap, and the hummed voices of the filled room. Out of all of the times I had felt lost and alone in my life, never once had it been worse than this.

I felt like crying.

And then, you know, maybe throwing up.

I was scared, alone, and not even sure that my father was still even here. So I hopped off of the stool, and began parting my way through the crowds of dirty dancing. After what seemed like hours of searching, I finally found the door and made my way out of that damn place.

Once I was out side, the cool, Chicago air whipped across my face, helping some of the dizziness go away. I was a little more oriented too, now that I could hear my own thoughts. I looked around, unsure of what to do; unsure of where to go. I was afraid to go home though, and afraid that Esme would catch me, and would be devastated by what I had done. I could just imagine how disappointed she'd be.

After a few minutes of silent debating, I decided I'd wait for a cab. I stood out in the cold for a while on my own, waiting for it to come. After about ten minutes, footsteps suddenly stormed up behind me, and I knew who it was without even having to turn around and check.

His hand came down sharply on my shoulder as he gripped tightly, spinning me around to face him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He accused, narrowing his eyes and spitting his words at me. "I'm not _through_ with you yet!" He gritted angrily through his teeth.

I was terrified of what he would do; unsure of what I was suppose to say, or how to say it without pissing him off even more. "I'm, uh, sorry, Dad. . .I, uh. . ." Didn't want to spend any more time in that fucked up place.

"You _what_?" He was drunk, just like me, but he was better at keeping focus – having plenty of experience and all.

"I thought you had already left. . ." I said nervously, looking anywhere but his face. My speech was also somewhat impaired, and it hurt my brain to try and form coherent thoughts and sentences.

"Well, _asshole_," He spat at me – it was nothing new though; he called me things like that all of the time. I was use to it. "I told you to wait for me, _didn't_ I?" His eyes were cold, and bleak. I had never seem them so scary. They were like half-crazed, and I knew that whatever was coming wasn't good.

I gulped, nodding.

I was completely unprepared for his next actions. Without any sort of notice, he grabbed both of my wrists in one of his hands, wrapping the other hand tightly around my neck. I only a couple inches shorter than him, so I tried to struggle away from his grasp.

Before I knew it, he was shoving me into a dark alley less than a block away from the club. "What the hell?" I finally managed to yell out once we were alone, which probably wasn't a good idea. No one could hear me anyways.

"I told you," He repeated in a calm, menacing voice, "I'm not _finished_ with you yet." He spat into my ear. "So listen here, you little son-of-a-bitch. You're going to listen to me, and do everything I tell you, you hear?"

I gasped in deep breaths of air once he released my neck. I considered running the hell away from him. I was about to sprint in the opposite direction, when I was abruptly halted by what he pulled out of his jacket pocket.

It was a gun.

My senses began to come back at the seriousness of the situation, and instead of feeling dizzy, I felt like hyperventilating. What a pussy thing to do, I thought in the back of my mind.

Frozen in my steps, I waited for him to say whatever it was he was going to. He looked like he was enjoying the way my eyes shot nervously from his face to the gun in his hand, and back to his face again. "Like that?" He taunted as my eyes stayed locked with horror.

I refused to say anything, for fear of saying something wrong.

I could smell his breath – it reeked of the poison as well as my own. I was deeply regretting listening to him and drinking that damn beer. Things would have been so much easier if my head weren't throbbing.

I knew that the gun was already loaded and ready as he brought it up to my forehead. I shook violently as the cold metal pressed against my skin, and my heart raced at the closeness of death approaching.

"Now you listen here," He was quiet now, and completely at ease with the fact that one flick of his finger could kill me. "I don't got no job any more, and it's damn obvious that we need the money." He paused, making sure I was comprehending. "So you're gonna get it, boy."

I didn't move an inch.

"This is how it's gonna work, so you better listen very closely, because I will not repeat myself." He narrowed his eyes, "If you fail to do as I say, or protest in any manner, I will shoot and kill you." There wasn't an ounce of joking in his eyes. I nodded my head a fraction of an inch.

He quick glanced at the direction of the club, then back at me. "See that whore house?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, "Crazy bitches in that place will pay for kinky sex, and you will give it to them."

My eyes widened, but the protest in side of me clung onto my tongue as I refrained from saying anything. "You do whatever the fuck it is that they want you to, no matter what, got it?" His voice was harsh. "They may hurt you, they may punish you, they may be as sick as hell to you, but you will take it _no matter what_ for that money."

Pain crashed through every once of me as his words cut through my skin like knives. I was about to enter something I was completely unprepared for. I was about to enter a type of hell that wasn't the right place for me.

But I had no other choice except to listen. I had no other choice if I wanted to live through the night. That fact literally killed me, and I felt as if I were punched repeatedly in the stomach.

In a cracked whisper, barely audible, I choked out, "I'm only thirteen."

"I don't give a _shit_ how old you are, bastard," He spat in my face. "You're easily able to pass as a sixteen-year-old. Hell, that doesn't even matter anyways. These women you'll be with. . .they don't _care_. They are the craziest, sickest, most perverted bitches you will ever come across." He didn't sound too worried about any of this.

Once again, I felt like screaming and crying out in torture at what I was about to do.

"That's good though," He seemed to be assuring himself. "Those woman pay damn good money to do shit to you."

I felt the lump in my throat move up towards my mouth, clamping my hand tightly over my mouth, I clenched my eyes shut as I tried holding back what was about to come flying out of my mouth.

Phil lowered his gun, stepping aside and gesturing with a nod that I could proceed. I turned towards the alley wall, and was violently sick. Twice.

After I was sure it had passed, and he knew it too, I felt him firmly pat my back, "Come on, slut, you've got your first job to do in about fifteen minutes." Once again, it felt like someone had repeatedly punched me all over my body.

"What?" I manged to choke out, still too horror-struck to actually speak.

"You heard me," his voice was curt, and smug, "Now get the hell to a bathroom and clean that shit off your face. I'll be waiting for you right outside the club in ten minutes." Paralyzed, I nodded. His gun, still visibly in his hand, taunted me. He noticed what I was looking at, and a smirk crossed his face. "Edward, if you are not where I tell you to be, _when_ I tell you to be, I will find you. I _will_ kill you."

"Yes, Dad." I whispered as he released his tight grip on my shirt. I could feel the moisture filling in my eyes, but I refused to let my tears spill – convinced that showing him my weakness would ruin me in the end.

I hurried into the bathroom, splashing cool water on my face and rinsing myself off. I studied my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were what scared me – they looked nothing like they normally did. The obvious fear I was feeling was presented strong in them, along with a series of numerous other emotions.

So basically the fact that I was scared shitless was not helping this situation in the least bit.

What was I suppose to do though? I was thirteen years-old. _Thirteen_. That was just barely a teenager. I had never had sex before. I hadn't been planning on loosing my virginity for a long time, actually.

By the sounds of it though, this would be a lot worse than your nice, romantic, "making-love" garbage everyone talked about. It was clear that no one here still believed in _that_ method.

Before, I hadn't fully been able to grasp what my orders had been. I mean, you can't blame a guy. It _is_ a little difficult to focus on anything _but_ the gun pointed at your head while your father may or may not kill you. Yeah. Just a little stressful.

Now realization of what I was suppose to do finally swept over me, I began to panic. I didn't know how the hell I was suppose to do _anything_ in that department.

I knew I would mess something up. I knew that this very well could possibly the last night I had left, judging by the drastic change of behavior and methods motivating my father.

I was used to his constant hatred aimed at me; the fact that ever since I was born, he had wished I wasn't alive. The fact that never once he had told me he loved me. Despite all of that, I've still been doing a fairly decent job at a normal life.

Unfortunately, having to see the look in your dad's eyes every morning, knowing that he wishes you were never born, does things to a kid. Bad things.

After I finished up in the bathroom, I put on my game face, covering up and closing off any other emotions running through me. I probably appeared calm and content on the outside, while on the inside, I was screaming and ripping at my hair.

Nothing could prepare me for what I was about to enter. No pun intended – honestly.

I met my dad just where he told me too; right outside the club. He was already out there waiting, along with a woman in tall, red high-heels. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked over and approached them.

"Ah, Edward," Phil said with fake affection. "Right on time."

I took a closer look at the girl by his side. She was probably somewhere in her mid-twenties, but looked older; probably from cigarettes and drugs – something we had just learned in health class. Her hair was a light brown, in wild, frizzy curls that expanded five inches away from her head. Her eyes were a grayish with a pound of make-up surrounding them. She had bright red lips, and freckles all over her face. It was possible that she could have been decent looking at one point, but now, she just looked absolutely insane.

"Edward," Phil rested a hand on my shoulder. I restrained myself from shaking it off. "This is Bree." Bree's eyes ran up and down my body as she silently appraised me. "This is who you'll belong to for the night."

_Belong to_. I hated that term before the two words even escaped his lips. It made me feel like a slave, and nothing about it sounded flattering. Just because that's what I now was, doesn't mean I had to accept it. I refused to go along with believing his words to be true. I _was_ somebody.

She took a step toward me, reaching her hand out to lightly pinch my cheek and send me a devilish smile. Winking at me, she leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I like 'em young, baby."

I almost gagged. I would have, if it weren't for the murderous warning glare that Phil was shooting me. So instead, I smiled back sweetly at her, not knowing exactly what I was suppose to do or say.

She took her place next to my father once again, smiling happily at him. "You were right, Phil," She commended, "He does not disappoint. Good build, strong frame, cute face," She proceeded the conversation as if I weren't a foot away from them both. "He kinda looks like the silent type too, ya know?" She winked at me once again. "I'll take him for the night."

My stomach sank. I could only imagine what this psychopathic woman had in store for us. _It could be worse_, I told myself silently, _it could have been some perverted old woman_. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thought I could hold on to for the moment, because my father's next words had be cringing.

"He's yours until four," He said as she handed him a wad full of cash. I didn't bother asking how much it was, knowing that keeping my mouth shut would always have a better outcome in the end. "Then you may release him from your apartment."

She nodded, smiling sweetly at him, and then they shook hands. "Pleasure doing business with you, Hon," He kissed her cheek as they parted.

Once he was out of sight, I stood awkwardly next to her, unsure of how the hell this was suppose to happen. She gestured with her finger for me to follow her to her car. Hesitantly, I followed closely behind.

She got into the driver's seat of her car, and I carefully climbed in the passenger's seat. I didn't know where we were going; how I was going to get home at four in the morning. I knew that Phil sure as hell wasn't coming to get me. That would mean. . .he couldn't be serious, could he?

Damn it, if I had to walk home, I'd be completely beat for school tomorrow. School! I completely forgot about that. How the hell was I suppose to go to school after tonight? I began silently worrying in my seat, staring bleakly out the window.

"So, kiddo," Bree began in an eager tone. "What's your favorite position?"

Position? In what? Football? I thought about what she was asking for a moment, when it came to me. _Oh_. I felt like a dumbass. She meant sex. "Um." I stated lamely. What positions _were_ there exactly? Swallowing my nerves, I tried countering her question. "What's yours?"

"On top, baby," She purred, leaning over in her seat to nibble on my ear. Uh, ew, I wanted to say. "I like it in control."

I smiled nervously, "Um, what a coincidence," I said, trying to sound confident with myself. "I, uh, like it on the bottom. . ." What the hell was I _saying_? I wanted more than ever to scrub my mouth with holy water at the moment.

"Excellent." She whispered to herself menacingly. It kinda scared me.

After ten minutes of driving, we pulled into the parking lot of some extremely shady apartments. I had this sinking feeling in my stomach, knowing that I'd need to start getting accustomed to places like this.

Even though he hadn't said so, I knew that my new "job" would be more than just a one-time thing.

She parked the car and turned off the ignition, but I remained still in my seat. She noticed, and leaned over so that her cleavage was placed right before my eyes. What were you suppose to do when a chick stuck her boobs in your face? Obviously I looked. I gasped when her hand gripped onto my dick through the denim jeans I was wearing. Not in a good way.

"I don't bite, sweetie. . ." She purred into my ear, licking the sighed of my face, ". . .hard!" She laughed loudly; the sound high-pitched, nazzly, and down-right unpleasant. So far, I was not enjoying how things were going.

"Now come on," She urged, moving herself off of me and out the door. "Let's go inside." She winked again. I swear, I'd gouge her eye out if she winked one more time. It was sexy, it was irritating.

I couldn't honestly believe that I was standing their judging her damn eye movements instead of peeing in my pants. Well, at least it was a distraction. At least for a moment, it had kept me from thinking about what was about to come.

Well damn. Now I _was_ thinking about what was about to come. Scratch my distractions – they sure as hell did me no help at all. I knew that no matter what, whatever was coming was unavoidable. Once again, _no pun intended_. God, I was so immature it wasn't even funny. How could I even be making jokes at the moment? That was seriously effed.

She led me up to her room, letting me enter first. I stepped inside, slipping off my shoes at the door. The fact that I was in a strange, slut's house didn't effect the manor's Esme had taught me.

I glanced around the room, noticing all of the messy clutter lying everywhere. Clothes and underwear were hanging all over the place; boxes of take-out and pizza laid on the ground, along with numerous other items I'd rather not pay much attention to. Her place also smelled horrible – like a bad cologne mixed with dead flowers. It wasn't flattering at all.

I stopped my train of thoughts immediately when I heard her quiet breathing right behind me. It sent shivers throughout my body, and I was instantly afraid again. I even started to shake a little.

She leaned in, her mouth inches away from my ear. "I'm going to go and change. There's a room to the left in the hallway, and I expect you to be naked and on your hands and knees before I'm done. Don't touch anything, and don't you dare try and hide from me." Her tone was immensely different than what it had been before, and I was immediately frightened.

I gulped, nodding and walking straight to where she ordered me. Still not having a clue how any of this stuff worked, I just went along with the directions I was given, no matter _how_ vile and repulsive they were.

I slowly opened the door to the room she had instructed me to, and turned on the lights. I gasped quietly as I took in the sight before me. There were items scattered about the floor – items as in toys; toys as in _toys_. There were different benches and stools spread across the room, along with a few other unidentifiable pieces of furniture.

As I walked into the room, I was suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She told me I had to be naked. I had already been expecting that part, but still, I hated it. I hated the lack of power and free will I was presented with.

Slowly, I removed my shirt over my head, tossing it aside on the floor. Then, I began unbuckling my jeans, sliding them down my legs and completely off of me. Each of my movements tortured me; I lost a piece of dignity along with each piece of clothing I discarded.

Standing in the middle of some strangers perverted sex room with absolutely no idea where I was and what would happen to me, I fought back the tears and stayed strong as I removed the last piece of clothing from my body.

Getting into the position she had ordered me, I stayed frozen on my hands and knees as the cold air of the room swept over my bare body, causing me to shiver. I clenched my eyes shut and tried to keep my breathing steady. It was so hard though, and I almost thought I wouldn't be able to do it.

"It's not fair," I whispered to no one.

Shaking on the cold tile, ages later I heard Bree finally come through the door. Her stare was like ten-thousand knives piercing through me as I felt her eyes go over every single part of my body. I kept my eyes closed, clenching my teeth together.

"Very good, Edward." I heard her pleased hummed from somewhere in the room. I didn't dare open my eyes, even though I could have at any point. I just didn't want to have to see any of this. I knew it'd be worse if I saw it.

I felt as she approached me, and knew that she was continuing to stare at my still form. As she walked around me twice, her hand flew out, coming sharply across my ass. Through my clenched teeth, I hissed in pain but remained unmoving.

"Can handle pain," She observed to herself quietly, her voice sounding pleased. "Very good." She repeated.

I didn't say anything, staying silent. I felt like I would involuntarily scream at any moment though, so I bit down on my lip.

"Stand up!" She suddenly ordered in a loud, harsh voice. Quickly, I scrambled to my feet, hoping not to piss her off. What was her deal, anyways? Hadn't she said she liked me? Then again, all girls were confusing.

"Why are your eyes closed?" She demanded as soon as I was standing up.

Without her needing to say any more, I quickly flashed my eyes open, as much as I didn't want to. I avoided looking anywhere near her, hoping she wouldn't yell at me for it. It didn't last long, as I suspected. "Look at me!" She barked, her hand reaching up to grasp her fingers tightly to the sides of my jaw, making me look directly in her eyes.

My whole body quivered as I stared into her crazed eyes. A few moments passed by, and her tight grip on my jaw soon turned into a light caress on my cheek. A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips.

"Now, my baby," She lowered her eyes, smirking, "What do you know about whipping benches?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Harder!" She shrieked, her nails digging into my chest to the point of bleeding. "Push harder, you little fucker!"

Cringing my eyes shut, I pushed myself in even further. I hissed in pain through the duck tape over my mouth at what she was doing to me – It had been going on for over three hours now, and my body felt weak. It felt like I would pass out at any moment.

My hands were stretched and cuffed to a pole somewhere above my head as I laid with my back on the cold, stone tile. There wasn't an ounce of pleasure left in me. In fact, there had never been any to start with.

Everything inside of me felt sharp and pain; every limb, every muscle. My crotch was literally raw with all she had been doing, and my face felt numb. Whenever I would do something that displeased her, she'd slap one of my cheeks.

It really stung.

I tried not to do anything wrong, but I couldn't help it. I just had no idea what I was doing. It wasn't fair, I repeated silently over and over in my head. It wasn't fair.

She sat on top of me – slamming down onto my exhausted body every other second, each time harder than the one before. The duck tape she had stuck over my mouth abled me to hold in my pained screams. While the whole time this was happening, she was able to wear a satisfied smile on that fucking face.

For about the hundredth time that night, I felt her lower muscles clench as she released around me. I grimaced in disgust, but she didn't notice.

She glanced at the clock that wasn't visible to me. I prayed with every single ounce in me that it would be four o'clock. Then I could escape this hell – I could go home, get a few hours of sleep, and then hopefully I would be fine. I would go to school, and it'd be like none of this ever happened.

I felt like crying out in joy through my sealed lips as she lifted herself off of me and went to un-cuff my hands. "Sh, baby," She whispered to me as I began whimpering at the stinging around my wrists. Once they were free, I brought them to my face to inspect them. They were raw, scratched up, and bloody. It must have been from all of the struggling I had been doing.

I sat up, though I barely had enough strength in me to do _that_, and she reached over and handed me a water bottle. As greedy as ever, I drank it all without a second of hesitation. Finishing the whole bottle in under a minute, I tossed it down next to me.

She stood up first, then helped me to my feet. "Very good job tonight, my pet," She leaned over, purring into my ear. "I much enjoyed your services."

I responded with only a stiff nod. I was sure that if I tried to form words, I'd probably end up in a fit of uncontrollable sobs.

"You may dress yourself and leave, lovely." She said, exiting out of the room naked and without another word.

As quick as I possibly could in my condition, I threw my clothes back on my body. Once they were on, I suddenly felt so much more secure and comfortable. Still though, my insides felt bare – I felt as if I had been kicked and thrown to the side of the road like an abandoned, dog. In fact, that's exactly what I felt like: an animal.

I felt embarrassed, I felt pain, and I felt vulnerable. I felt as if any thing could break me now. Her touch was still embedded on my skin. Her hands; hot, knife hands imprinted on my fragile body.

I was just a kid.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Just like she had instructed, I left the apartment room immediately, racing down three flights of stairs and throwing myself out of the main entrance in the lobby. Never looking back, I began sprinting away from that forsaken place – my shoes padding loudly on the unfamiliar gravel road as I refused to let myself stop.

Cold air whipped at my face, stinging every bare part of my body.

I continued running; pushing myself further and further, never stopping. My legs ached as I ran, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. My lungs burned with an intense fire, eating away my air. Pretty soon, I was gasping for breath as lungs felt like they were being torn apart.

I felt hot, wet tears stream down my face, causing my vision to go blurry. Furiously, I tried blinking them back, but didn't succeed. Pretty soon, I couldn't see at all.

When I could no longer see, everything in me gave out. I collapsed in the middle of the barren road; falling to the ground without warning. Once my face hit the cold tar, I felt a sense of numbness sweep over me, and over take my whole body completely.

I crawled to the side of the road, out of harms way from any possible traffic. Once I was sure I was safe, I crumpled up in a ball next to the curb as I felt myself rip apart on the inside.

It was like thirteen years of locked up emotion suddenly crashing through me. Everything I had felt; all the pain and silent suffering I had hidden throughout my life now consumed me in it's violent rage of bitter reality.

I stayed like that for almost an hour. Silently crying for what I had suddenly lost. My childhood. From this night on, I knew that nothing would truly be the same. I knew that whatever hopes I had for the future were gone. Most importantly, I knew that I would never be the same.

Once I resurfaced, I was a completely different person. I picked myself up off of the dirty street and stared around into the darkness. Proceeding in the direction I believed to be home, I began a steady walk.

As I walked, I left behind bits and pieces of my soul. I locked up my real self, and let this new Edward take over me. I was bitter, but at the same time, defeated. I knew that couldn't avoid what was in my future, and that there was no point fighting it, so I didn't. I surrendered to my new fate.

At realization of what had happened, I broke out into another sprint. As much as I wanted to fight it away, I had to accept it. I hated that; the moment I realized what I became, I pushed myself even harder.

Running from myself.

Running from who I had become.

* * *

**POSTING SCHEDULE FOR FACE DOWN'S OUTTAKES**

**_11.26 - Thanksgiving (today): _"The First Night"  
_12.25 - Christmas: _[not determined yet]  
_1.1.10 - New Years Day: _"After the Epilogue"**

_My holiday presents to you.  
Because I love you.  
And I can't let go if this story quite yet.  
-sighs-_


End file.
